Australia crushed India by 4 wickets in the second T20I of the five-match series at the MCG. India managed to post 125 runs in 18.4 overs. Except for Abhishek Sharma, who hit a blazing half-century, and Harshit Rana, none of the Indian batters reached double figures. Josh Hazlewood (3/13 in 4 overs) led Australia’s bowling attack, while Xavier Bartlett and Nathan Ellis picked up two wickets each.

While chasing, Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh gave Australia a flying start. Although they lost a few wickets later, they comfortably reached the target in just 13.2 overs. Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy took two wickets each, but their efforts fell short. Mitchell Marsh was the top scorer for Australia. With this win, Australia took a 1-0 lead in the series.

Hazlewood Leads Australia’s Charge

Josh Hazlewood delivered a brilliant performance that stunned a packed MCG crowd of more than 82,000—most of them cheering for India. Despite the home ground advantage, the atmosphere felt entirely Indian. But Hazlewood made the difference, taking 3 for 13 in his four overs and helping Australia bowl India out for just 125. The lone resistance came from Abhishek Sharma, who smashed 68 off 37 balls.

Abhishek fought hard but didn’t get enough strike, facing only 37 deliveries out of 111 before he fell in the 19th over. Harshit Rana stayed with him briefly, scoring a steady 35 from 33 balls. Still, Australia’s bowlers dominated, with Nathan Ellis taking 2 for 21 and Xavier Bartlett 2 for 39.

Marsh and Head Finish the Job

In the chase, Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head handled Jasprit Bumrah carefully at the start before launching an aggressive counterattack. Marsh hammered four sixes in his 46 off 26 balls, while Head scored a quick 28 from 15.

Varun Chakravarthy bowled sharply to claim 2 for 23, and Bumrah took two wickets in two balls near the end. However, the late strikes only narrowed the margin, as Australia reached the target with 40 balls to spare, winning by four wickets.

Hazlewood’s Devastating Spell

Hazlewood started strong. His first ball pitched perfectly on length and seamed back to hit Shubman Gill on the pad. Though the umpire gave him out, DRS overturned it due to the MCG’s bounce. The next ball beat Gill’s edge, and the third—a fierce bouncer—struck his helmet, silencing the crowd.

The tense moment followed a pre-game tribute to Ben Austin, adding to the emotion on the field.

Abhishek Stands Alone

Abhishek Sharma batted as if he was on a different pitch. While wickets kept falling, he counter-attacked with flair. He hit 14 runs off Bartlett’s second over, including a stunning inside-out six over cover. His best shot came against Ellis—a clever upper cut over short third to a slower bouncer.

But he kept losing partners. Axar Patel was run out for 7 after a mix-up while trying to rotate strike. At one stage, India had faced 66 balls, and Abhishek had only faced 19 of them—yet he had already struck eight boundaries.

His fifty came off just 23 balls. When Harshit Rana joined him, they added some stability, though Australia’s bowlers kept forcing singles. Abhishek again displayed creativity in Bartlett’s final over, stepping outside leg to carve behind point and then flicking over fine leg.

Ellis ended his innings with a perfect yorker, dismissing him lbw and restricting India to 125 instead of a possible 140-plus.

Marsh and Head Power Australia Home

After Abhishek’s effort, the other half of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s explosive duo—Travis Head—took charge. He attacked from the start, flicking Bumrah over mid-on to relieve pressure. Two outside edges off Harshit Rana found the boundary, and another delivery was sent for six. Head fell for 28, caught brilliantly by Tilak Varma, but his brisk innings set the tone.

Marsh then took control. Having struggled against Bumrah in the past, he played carefully at first, defending and leaving deliveries like in a Test match. Bumrah searched for wickets and ended up conceding extras, which eased the pressure.

Once Marsh settled, he exploded. He smashed four massive sixes, pulling Rana into the second tier and launching Varun and Kuldeep into the stands. He eventually holed out to Kuldeep, but by then, Australia were cruising.

India’s Late Fightback Fails

Kuldeep and Varun shared four wickets, and Bumrah’s late double strike added some respectability. But the match had already slipped away. Australia reached the target comfortably, sealing victory with 6.4 overs to spare and taking a 1-0 series lead.

Brief Scorecard