2nd ODI LIVE: England Eyes Revenge After Big Loss vs Australia In 1st ODI

The sun has just popped out at Headingley as the players from both camps make their way out to the middle. As always, Harry Brook has a big smile on his face as he leads his unit onto the field. Two men in yellow walk alongside them, one by the name of Travis Head and the other by the name of Matthew Short. Matthew Potts will start off proceedings for the game, to Short, coming up the hill, with a slip in place. The pitch has a tinge of green.

Australia's skipper, MITCHELL MARSH, says that he would have bowled first as well but is happy batting first. Smiles on being asked whether he has a fit XI and informs that Josh Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc are back in the playing XI. On being informed that he made 16 changes by the 35th over in the first ODI, Mitch says that it is a blessing to have so many allrounders. On Travis Head, the skipper says that he has been a blessing to the team and wishes that his form continues. On his own bowling, MM says that he should be bowling soon.

England's captain, HARRY BROOK, says that when Jos Buttler was in charge, chasing was their preferred way and given their long batting lineup, they prefer to go after a target. On learnings from the previous game, Harry says that the plan is always to put pressure on the opposition with bat and ball and give your 100 percent on the field. Feels that there might be a little bit movement early on but eventually, he expects another flat deck in this game. Does not look too much into the loss on Thursday and just hopes that England make use of any momentum that they get their way. On the team news, the skipper informs that Jofra Archer has bee rested and Olly Stone takes his place.

Meanwhile, in Chennai, local lad Ravichandran Ashwin has finally got his first wicket of the game, dismissing Shadman Islam for a well-made 35. Bangladesh are in trouble now, at 96/2, having lost both their openers in the span of 5 overs, after a strong opening stand of 62. They will not be looking at 515 from any point of view at this stage and hope to bat for as long as possible and make India earn the win, rather than gifting it on a platter. India, on the other hand, will aim to keep making inroads and have another decent bowling performance. Sunday should be the last day of this Test with the final session of today dictating how many sessions we could have on Day 4.

So in a bit of a surprise, Australia's big three are back - Hazlewood, Maxwell and Starc. Though only time will tell how fit are they, having just recovered from a viral illness. As far as England are concerned, one would assume that they have given a rest to Archer, as the last game was on Thursday, to ease him back from recovery. Stone should enjoy the conditions in Leeds.

England (Playing XI) - Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Harry Brook (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Olly Stone (IN FOR JOFRA ARCHER), Matthew Potts and Adil Rashid.

Australia (Playing XI) - Travis Head, Matthew Short, Mitchell Marsh (C), Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey (WK), Glenn Maxwell (IN FOR CAMERON GREEN), Aaron Hardie, Mitchell Starc (IN FOR BEN DWARSHUIS), Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood (IN FOR SEAN ABBOTT).

TOSS - The flip of the coin is done and it has gone Harry Brook's way. Could be a very important toss as the conditions are getting overcast all of a sudden. Without a doubt, Brook says that ENGLAND WILL CHASE. Chasing has been England's forte and also, in the previous game, while bowling second, they were having issues with the wet ball due to the dew. They will hope that things fall in place for them in this match with the toss going their way. Additionally, since this is a day game, we won't have any dew issues.

WEATHER REPORT - As of now, it is good atmosphere to play cricket in Headingley but the forecast suggests some rain spells through the game. May not be a shortened match but we could expect some interruptions. Let's hope for a complete game of cricket without any hassles.

Talking about last evening, Afghanistan created history by winning their first-ever bilateral ODI series against South Africa, beating them comprehensively by 177 runs. En route, they earned another record as Rashid Khan became the first male player to take a 5-wicket haul on birthday in ODIs! That series is happening in the Middle East and the South Africans have had not headache, but migraine issues against spin. However, that's what challenge is all about. It is an inexperienced team and you can gain experience only by playing more and more. Given the way the series has gone so far, a whitewash seems to be on the cards. The final game will be played on Sunday, in Sharjah.

Given that there is still some time for the clash to begin, let's take a peek on international cricket matches happening elsewhere. Starting with India, after a surprisingly unsuccessful period with the new ball in the fourth innings, Jasprit Bumrah has just managed to break Bangladesh's 62-run opening stand, dismissing Zakir Hasan. The hosts have turned the tables nicely after a difficult couple of sessions on Thursday, posting 376, then dismissing Bangladesh for 149, before batting again and declaring at 287/4, setting Bangladesh a mammoth 515. India would be happy with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant scoring centuries and hope for their form to last long, especially with the World Test Championship final loading next year.

How did England lose the first ODI? By following the phrase - 'You live by the sword and you die by the sword.' When Ben Duckett was batting, he was putting the Aussie bowlers to the sword but his dismissal allowed a small window to be opened and the Kangaroos hopped in. Knowing Brendon McCullum's nature, he would not be fazed by the loss one bit, as he will aim for the long-term approach. Bazball is what we have been witnessing in Tests but maybe, a small tweak could be provided. As in, when you get the platform, make use of the same but get yourself in before lashing the sword. The bowling was a worry in the opening game and the hosts would be keen on doing better on that front.

So what's the issue with Australia? A strange kind of virus has spread through their camp, leaving their players sick and unfit for play. They were forced to play without Josh Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell and Mitchelll Starc which hurt them big time and given that this game is coming at a quick turnaround, one doubts whether the visitors would be able to get any of their missing frontline players back. Add to it, they have got a massive summer loading, so the think tank would be figuring out the workload from a long-term perspective. One good thing for them is that because they have won the first game, they can afford extra rest for their players, given that the next game is on Tuesday.

A 'head'start is something that every team wishes for in a game and in a series. Australia got that through Travis Head in their series opener as they chased down 316 in a jiffy but if truth be told, it was a game which England lost, rather than Australia winning. From a dominating position at 213/2, the hosts lost their way, as they fell short by at least 30-40 runs of what would have been a challenging total. Australia will be happy, having managed to win without their first-choice XI but England will also understand that there are plenty of loopholes in this Australian unit that they can expose. So as it happened in the T20I series, will it be 1-1 after the second ODI? Or will Australia add to their streak of 13 successive ODI victories? We shall find out together.

... MATCH DAY ...

The bandwagon moves to Leeds for the second ODI of the five-match series between Australia and England at Headingley. After a commanding victory in the series opener, Australia head into this contest with the upper hand and will be determined to extend their lead to 2-0, aiming to push England onto the back foot early in the series. However, England, despite their loss in the first game, had several promising moments, and they will be eager to bounce back and level the series before heading to Chester-le-Street for the third ODI. In the first ODI, England elected to bat and looked set for a massive total, cruising at 213 for 2. However, Australia’s spinners mounted a remarkable comeback, with England collapsing to 315 all out, a score that felt below par given their strong start. Travis Head’s scintillating 154 then anchored Australia’s chase, guiding them to a comfortable victory, as they reached the target with six overs to spare. Heading into the second ODI, Australia will be hoping to maintain their momentum, but they will be keeping an eye on the fitness of key players like Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, who were sidelined for the first match due to illness. The absence of the pace duo slightly weakened Australia’s pace attack and the injury to Ben Dwarshuis, who suffered a pectoral strain, added to their concerns. A fully fit Starc and Hazlewood will provide a significant boost, giving Australia’s bowling attack more bite and variety. For England, the second ODI represents a crucial opportunity to regroup and address the issues that cost them in the opener. While Ben Duckett and Will Jacks made valuable contributions at the top of the order, others like Phil Salt, Harry Brook, and Liam Livingstone couldn’t capitalize on their starts. England’s middle order crumbled against spin, and they will need to find a way to counter that threat. It's all set up for yet another entertaining contest between the two old rivals. Who are you backing to come out on top?