Why is Shardul Thakur not playing today’s match?

Team India all-rounder Shardul Thakur is not part of the playing XI for the second ODI against Australia at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday (March 19).

The Men in Blue made two changes to their playing XI for the second one-dayer of the three-match series. Ishan Kishan was replaced by captain Rohit Sharma, who missed the first game at his home ground in Mumbai to attend a family wedding.

Moreover, Team India brought in spin-bowling all-rounder Axar Patel to replace Thakur. The latter did not have much to do in the first ODI at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, which the hosts won by five wickets. Thakur bowled two overs for 12 runs without claiming a wicket and was not needed with the bat.

After losing the toss for the second one-dayer in Visakhapatnam, India captain Rohit Sharma opened up on the changes in the playing XI:

“Ishan misses out. I am back for him. Shardul misses out, and Axar is in.”

India were asked to bat first by Australia. Speaking ahead of the game, Rohit said:

“(The) pitch has been under the covers for a long time; we got to bat well and see where we are. Every game you play for India is a pressure game, so you got to stay calm and make the right decision. We have tried to remain calm in the last few ODI series we have played."

On the decision to go into the game with three spinners, he explained:

“If we win the toss, I thought we could do something with three spinners if we bowl first. I think it will still turn in the second innings. And three spinners is something we might go with in the World Cup, so we want to try.”

India lost Shubman Gill for a duck to left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc in the very first over of the game. Starc also dismissed Rohit for 13 and Suryakumar Yadav for a golden duck.

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Shardul Thakur’s ODI stats

The 31-year-old Thakur, who has been left out of the playing XI, has played 35 ODIs for India, claiming 50 wickets at an average of 31.98 and an economy rate of 6.22.

He has also scored 298 runs at an average of 19.86 and a strike rate of 109.96, with one half-century.

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India vs Australia 2nd ODI playing XIs

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami

Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa