2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke made by India in the 2nd ODI vs Australia ft. Rohit Sharma's half-century

India succumbed to a two-wicket defeat in the second ODI against Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, October 23. The Men in Blue turned in an improved performance when compared to Perth but fell to a disappointing bilateral series defeat.

The toss didn't go in India's favor, but Shubman Gill and the think think didn't do themselves any favors either. They committed a number of familiar blunders, ones that have cast doubts over whether Gautam Gambhir is the right man to be at the helm in the longer formats.

On that note, here are two mistakes and one masterstroke made by India in the second ODI against Australia.

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#3 Mistake - India got KL Rahul and Nitish Kumar Reddy's entry points wrong

Australia v India - ODI Series: Game 1 - Source: Getty

For the second game running, India got KL Rahul and Nitish Kumar Reddy's entry points wrong.

The third wicket fell at the 30-over mark, but despite that, the Men in Blue sent in Axar Patel. While that's a good idea on subcontinental tracks, since Axar can play spin well, Rahul's caliber needs to be used in conditions like Australia. Instead, the keeper-batter came in at No. 6 and lasted just 15 balls.

Meanwhile, Washington Sundar was once again sent in ahead of Reddy even though India needed acceleration at the death. The left-hander found a fielder in the deep, and although Reddy didn't fare much better, there's no doubt that their roles need to be reversed if the situation doesn't call for sedate play.

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#2 Masterstroke - Rohit Sharma did well to take his time

Australia v India - ODI Series: Game 1 - Source: Getty

Rohit Sharma has become known for his aggressive approach at the top of the order. Even in Adelaide, he tried to slog his way through the new ball, but quickly realized that it wasn't the right way to go.

Rohit smartly switched down a couple of gears. He reverted to his old template of rotating strike and running hard, choosing to play a longer knock with the interests of the team in mind. The opening batter did play his shots, evidenced by a couple of pulled sixes over the square leg boundary, but he didn't go hell for leather as he usually does.

Had Rohit done so, India may have found themselves in a similar situation to Perth. With the Aussie pacers proving threatening, the former skipper needed to dial his intent down.

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#1 Mistake - The Men in Blue not only dropped Kuldeep Yadav but also didn't bowl spin to Australia's key pace hitters

India v Pakistan - Asia Cup Final - Source: Getty

In the same game that Adam Zampa walked away with the Player of the Match award for a four-wicket haul, Kuldeep Yadav watched from the sidelines as India had barely any wicket-taking threat through the middle overs. The continued exclusion of Kuldeep in favor of the illusion of batting depth has been one of the team's worst decisions in recent times.

Moreover, when Matt Short and Matt Renshaw were at the crease, Shubman Gill chose to bowl his pacers at them instead of turning to Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. While Axar was off the field for an over or two, the Indian skipper could've easily tossed the ball to Sundar. Instead, the pacers allowed the Aussie duo to stitch together a solid start to their partnership.