Hazlewood brilliance puts Australia ahead 1-0

Hazlewood brilliance puts Australia ahead 1-0

India vs Australia: Josh Hazlewood Shines As Australia Beat India By 4 Wickets, Take 1-0 Lead In 5-Match Series. Earlier, Indian opener Abhishek Sharma struck at 68 amid a top-order batting collapse to lift India to 125 all out.

Australia put on a commanding performance in the second T20I at Melbourne, defeating India by four wickets with 40 balls still left. It was a one-sided game where India’s batting lineup collapsed once again, and Australia made the chase look like a walk in the park.

India’s innings never really found any rhythm. Shubman Gill and Sanju Samson fell cheaply in the Powerplay, and things got worse when captain Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma were dismissed in quick succession. From 32 for 4 inside five overs, India were in deep trouble.

The only bright spark for India was Abhishek Sharma, who batted beautifully amid the chaos. He played a fearless knock of 68 runs off 37 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes. His aggressive intent gave India a glimmer of hope, but no one stayed long enough to support him. Apart from Abhishek, only Harshit Rana (35 off 33) made a notable contribution as India were bowled out for just 125 in 18.4 overs.

Australia’s bowlers were right on the money from the start. Josh Hazlewood led the attack with an outstanding spell of 3 for 13, removing Gill, Suryakumar, and Tilak Varma. Nathan Ellis (2/21) and Xavier Bartlett (2/39) chipped in with important wickets, while Marcus Stoinis also bowled smartly in the middle overs.

When it was Australia’s turn to bat, their intent was clear finish the game early. Mitchell Marsh set the tone with a blistering 46 off 26 balls, including four sixes and two boundaries. Travis Head supported him perfectly, smashing 28 off 15 balls. Together, they raced to 50 in just over four overs, completely taking the game away from India.

Even though Kuldeep Yadav picked up two wickets and Varun Chakravarthy bowled a tidy spell, there was never enough on the board to trouble the Aussies. Jasprit Bumrah tried to bring India back with two quick strikes, but by then, the match was long gone.

Australia eventually chased down the target in 13.2 overs, finishing at 126 for 6. Marcus Stoinis (6) and Xavier Bartlett (0) saw the team home comfortably.

Brief Scores:

India: 125 all out in 18.4 overs

Australia: 126/6 in 13.2 overs

Result: Australia won by 4 wickets