Australia clinched a decisive four-wicket victory over India in the second T20I held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, taking an early 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The match started under challenging cloudy conditions, and India, batting first, saw its lineup crumble.
With the defeat at the MCG, India are now 1-0 behind in the T20I series (Images via AP)
Josh Hazlewood spearheaded Australia’s attack, delivering an impressive performance with figures of 3 for 13, consistently troubling the Indian batsmen.
Despite an early collapse that left India struggling, Abhishek Sharma showcased remarkable resilience, scoring a valiant 68 runs off just 37 balls. He found a crucial partner in Harshit Rana, who contributed a steady 35 runs from 33 deliveries. Their partnership added 56 vital runs for the sixth wicket, helping India recover from a precarious 49 for 5 to a total of 125 in 18.4 overs.
Hazlewood made an immediate impact, dismissing Shubman Gill for only 5 runs. Nathan Ellis then trapped Sanju Samson lbw for 2. The struggles continued for Suryakumar Yadav, who edged Hazlewood to wicketkeeper Josh Inglis for a mere 1 run. Tilak Varma and Axar Patel also fell quickly, leaving India reeling at 32/4 within the powerplay overs.
Abhishek’s counter-attack was a highlight, as he found the boundaries with ease against both pace and spin. However, his dismissal by Ellis in the 18th over effectively extinguished India’s hopes for a significant late surge. Rana’s sensible batting kept the score ticking before he was caught off Xavier Bartlett. India’s innings concluded shortly after with Bumrah being run out.
In pursuit of a target of 126, Australia began their chase with aggressive intent, led by captain Mitchell Marsh. Marsh blazed his way to 46 runs off just 26 balls, including two boundaries and four towering sixes, setting a rapid pace for the chase.
Travis Head also contributed with 28 runs before being dismissed by Varun Chakaravarthy, who ended with figures of 2 for 23. A standout moment for India was Tilak Varma’s brilliant catch near the ropes to remove Head, a catch that drew comparisons to Suryakumar Yadav’s memorable effort in the 2024 T20 World Cup final. However, despite these fielding heroics, India’s efforts in the field ultimately couldn’t change the outcome of the game.
Australia comfortably reached their target in 13.2 overs, finishing on 126 for 6. Jasprit Bumrah managed to pick up two late wickets, while Tim David and Josh Inglis also fell to India’s spinners. This victory secured Australia a 1-0 series lead, forcing India to critically assess their performance, particularly their underwhelming batting in challenging conditions, and consider their strategies for the upcoming matches.