Australia secured a commanding four-wicket win against India in the second T20I at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, establishing a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Opting to bat first under overcast conditions, India’s batting lineup crumbled once more, primarily due to Josh Hazlewood’s stellar performance, claiming three wickets for just 13 runs.
Despite the early wickets, Abhishek Sharma mounted a courageous effort, scoring 68 off 37 balls. He found crucial support from Harshit Rana, who contributed 35 runs from 33 deliveries. This resilient partnership of 56 runs for the sixth wicket salvaged India’s innings, pushing them from a precarious 49 for 5 to a modest total of 125 in 18.4 overs.
Hazlewood inflicted early damage, quickly sending Shubman Gill back to the pavilion for 5. Nathan Ellis then accounted for Sanju Samson, trapping him LBW for just 2. Suryakumar Yadav’s struggled continued, as he edged Hazlewood to wicketkeeper Josh Inglis for a single run. The departures of Tilak Varma and Axar Patel shortly thereafter left India in deep trouble at 32 for 4 within the powerplay.
Abhishek, however, counter-attacked aggressively, unleashing a volley of boundaries against both pace and spin bowlers. His eventual dismissal to Ellis in the 18th over effectively crushed India’s hopes of a significant late boost. Rana’s composed innings helped maintain the scoring rate until he was caught off Xavier Bartlett’s bowling. India’s innings concluded swiftly after, with Bumrah being run out.
In pursuit of 126 runs, Australia launched an explosive start, spearheaded by captain Mitchell Marsh. Marsh dominated, hammering 46 runs from just 26 balls, featuring two boundaries and four towering sixes, which set the perfect tempo for a rapid chase.
Travis Head contributed a valuable 28 runs before being dismissed by Varun Chakaravarthy, who ended his spell with impressive figures of 2 for 23. A spectacular catch by Tilak Varma near the boundary ropes to remove Head evoked memories of Suryakumar Yadav’s sensational effort in the 2024 T20 World Cup final. Unfortunately for India, this brilliant fielding moment was one of their few bright spots, as their overall performance in the field couldn’t change the game’s outcome.
Australia comfortably reached their target in just 13.2 overs, finishing on 126 for 6. Although Jasprit Bumrah managed to secure two late wickets, and India’s spinners claimed Tim David and Josh Inglis, it was too little, too late.
This decisive win handed Australia a 1-0 series lead, leaving India to lament their squandered chances and a lackluster batting display in challenging conditions.