Australia vs India 2018-19: Australia's Predicted Playing XI for the 2nd Test

Tim Paine's men lost the first Test of the 4-match series by 31 runs and would be keen to bounce back in the 2nd game. The second Test match will take place in Perth and the pitch there could be expected to favour the Aussies more.

In the first Test, the bowlers were the lone shining spot of the Australian unit as not only did they bowl tight lines to the Indian batsmen but they also came up with vital contributions with the bat in the tail.

Shaun Marsh and Travis Head scored half-centuries but failed to convert them into a hundred.

The Australian team would be under immense pressure as losing another Test match would mean that they might not be able to lay their hands on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Here is the predicted playing XI of the Australian team for the 2nd Test:

Openers - Marcus Harris and Usman Khawaja

Khawaja should open the innings for Australia and not Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch opened the innings with debutant Marcus Harris in both the innings and the rookie played better than the experienced Finch. Finch could only score 11 runs in the second innings after being dismissed for a duck in the first innings.

A solid partnership at the top of the order was something that the Australian innings lacked and promoting Khawaja to the opener's position would surely make things better for the home side.

Usman Khawaja has shown solidity in the middle with his impressive defence and could help the Australian team by playing for at least 1-2 sessions. Also, Khawaja is a much better Test opener than Aaron Finch who is more of a T20 specialist. Marcus Harris showed some promise in his debut match and it would be harsh to axe the debutant after just one game.

Middle Order - Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb and Travis Head

Travis Head scored 72 runs in the first innings

If there was any bright spot in the Australian batting at Adelaide, it was Travis Head. The left-handed middle-order batsman played a magnificent innings of 72 runs and led the team from 127-6 to 235 in the end. He played well with the tail-enders and made sure that India do not get a big lead. Head also battled for 62 balls in the second innings before losing his wicket.

Shaun Marsh too returned to form after breaking a 130-year old record of single-digit scores. Marsh amassed 60 runs off 166 balls in the second innings and built partnerships with Paine, Head and Handscomb in the middle.

Peter Handscomb would manage to retain his place in the team despite a poor outing in the 2nd innings of the 1st Test, since the Australians do not have any better alternatives.

Wicket Keeper - Tim Paine

Tim Paine would be hugely disappointed after the defeat at Adelaide

It was the first time since 2008 that the Indian team won a Test match on Australian soil. Home captain Tim Paine would look to improvise on both his batting as well as captaincy tactics. He was appointed as the successor of Steve Smith and thus far he hasn't been up to the mark while leading Australia.

Also, he could score only five runs in the first innings of the Adelaide Test and could not help Australia cross the line in the second. Paine would be under severe pressure as losing one more Test would lead to fans and critics questioning his position as the team's captain.

Many of the cricket pundits have hailed Paine as one of the softest Australian captains and it seems like his place in the team will be on the line during the series versus India.

All Rounder - Mitchell Marsh

Mitchell Marsh is the vice-captain

The vice-captain of the Australian Test squad, Mitchell Marsh was surprisingly left out of the team for the first Test in Adelaide but the management would be keen to have an all-rounder in the team. Marsh could provide the right balance to the Australian team as he not only can play well with the bat but can also bowl some crucial overs in the middle.

Spinner - Nathan Lyon

Nathan Lyon shone with both bat and ball

Off-spinner Nathan Lyon once again baffled the Indian batting order at Adelaide as he picked up 8 wickets in the match. He had led his team to victory at Adelaide in 2014 but could not do so in 2018. Lyon tried his best with the bat as well but in the end, he ran out of partners as India won the match by just 31 runs.

Fast Bowlers - Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Chris Tremain

Tremain could make his debut at Perth

Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood bowled brilliantly in both the innings and shared 9 wickets between them in both the innings. There's no reason why they should be excluded from the playing XI of the second Test at Perth.

However, Pat Cummins bowled 19 wicket-less overs in the second innings and the Indian batsmen did not find it difficult to tackle his pace. The Australians could opt for the young pacer Chris Tremain who is yet to make his Test debut.

Including a new pacer would bring an element of uncertainty in the game and he could potentially trouble the Indian batsmen with his pace. Peter Siddle is too there in the Australian squad but given he is very prone to injury, Langer and Paine can include Tremain in the XI.