Australia v India: 2nd Test: Date, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

After a fabulous advert for Test cricket in Adelaide to open the series, Australia and India resume battle in Brisbane.

All three results were possible going into the final session of the first match, but it was the home team who came out on top thanks to spinner Nathan Lyon's heroics. However, victory came at a price as they lost captain Michael Clarke to injury.

Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 17 to Sunday Dec. 21

Start time: 10 a.m. local, midnight GMT

Live on: Nine Network (Australia), STAR Sports (India), Orbit Show Network (Middle East), PTV Sports (Pakistan), SuperSport (South Africa), Sky Sports (United Kingdom), Sky Sport (New Zealand)

Weather: According to Weather.com, the match can expect to be hit by thunderstorms over the course of the five days. Thursday afternoon certainly does not look particularly pleasant. However, it will be hoped any time lost can be made up throughout the course of the contest.

Overview

Australia and India will both have new men in charge for the second of four Tests.

Michael Clarke had to watch from the sidelines as the hosts completed victory in the rearranged series opener, after the Australia captain was forced from the field with a torn right hamstring sustained while fielding.

Clarke has since been ruled out of the rest of the series, as confirmed by Cricket Australia in a statement released on Monday, and he has undergone surgery. It was also announced that Steve Smith had been named as vice-captain, meaning he will take charge of the Test team for the first time in Brisbane.

Shaun Marsh comes in to play alongside his younger brother, Mitchell, making them the seventh pair of siblings to appear for Australia.

As for the Australian bowling attack, Ryan Harris (quadriceps) is ruled out through injury and Peter Siddle has been dropped, per ESPN Cricinfo. Their places go to the seam duo of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

India, meanwhile, welcome back skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni; the wicketkeeper-batsman has recovered from a hand injury to lead the tourists. 

Wriddhiman Saha makes way behind the stumps for Dhoni’s return, while the fit-again captain—who takes the reins back from Virat Kohli—has hinted, per the Indian Express, that Ravichandran Ashwin may be recalled. If the spinner does return, it seems likely to be at the expense of fellow slow bowler Karn Sharma.

Venue

The Gabba is a fortress for Australia—the nature of the wicket, which often benefits the seam bowlers with bounce and seam movement, has often caught touring teams cold at the start of a series.

Although this time they are playing the second Test at the venue, with the games being rescheduled following the death of Phillip Hughes, they should still be full of confidence. Australia have not tasted defeat in Brisbane since West Indies triumphed there way back in November of 1988.

India did draw the last time they played a Test at the ground, in 2003 under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly, to end a run of four successive defeats.

Team News

Australia XI: David Warner, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson, Steven Smith (c), Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin (w), Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

India (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c & w), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Varun Aaron, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma, Suresh Raina, Lokesh Rahul, Naman Ojha and Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Key Players

Australia: The absence of Michael Clarke leaves a huge void in the Australia middle order. Shaun Marsh gets the first opportunity to fill the gap; he has managed two hundreds in his nine Test matches to date but has also recorded six ducks.

Mitchell Johnson was something of a peripheral figure in Adelaide, picking up four wickets in the thrilling victory, but he will expect to be a leading storyline on a surface that should suit him.

India: The added responsibility of captaincy in the first Test did not seem to bother Virat Kohli, as he hit hundreds in both innings of the defeat. It was a welcome return to form in Test action after a difficult tour to England, while it also highlighted his leadership credentials for the future.

Ravichandran Ashwin may have made a difference had he been selected in Adelaide, not least for the fact his batting abilities would have been useful in India’s failed run chase on the final day.