A spicy pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) saw India stumble against Australia, with Josh Hazlewood leading the charge. In front of a packed crowd of 82,438, India suffered a batting collapse in the second T20I, ultimately losing the match by four wickets.
Australia now leads the five-match series 1-0. The defeat marks India's first T20I loss at the MCG since 2008, ending their four-match winning streak at the iconic venue.
India's batting woes were evident from the start, with the top five batters falling cheaply. The scoreboard read a disastrous 5, 2, 1, 0, and 5, leaving the visitors reeling. Hazlewood's "Test-match precision in a T20 contest" exposed the Indian top order's struggle against bounce and seam movement.
Hazlewood was named Player of the Match for his magnificent spell of 3/13 in four overs. He bowled 15 dot balls, consistently hitting Test-match lengths and extracting steep bounce, which troubled the Indian batsmen.
Shubman Gill was the first to fall, caught at mid-off off Hazlewood's bowling for just 5 runs. Sanju Samson, promoted to number three, failed to capitalize, trapped leg before wicket by Nathan Ellis for 2. Hazlewood then returned to dismiss Suryakumar Yadav for 1 and Tilak Varma for a duck. Suryakumar edged a short delivery to the wicketkeeper, while Varma mistimed a shot, resulting in a simple catch for Josh Inglis. Axar Patel was then run out for 5, further compounding India's problems.
Abhishek Sharma was the lone bright spot in India's innings, scoring a brilliant 68 off 37 balls, including eight fours and two sixes. He added 56 runs for the sixth wicket with Harshit Rana (35 off 33), helping India reach a total of 125 after Hazlewood's initial onslaught.
In response, Australia chased down the target in just 13.2 overs, despite losing six wickets. Captain Mitchell Marsh led the charge with a rapid 46 off 26 balls, while Travis Head provided a quick start at the top. Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy took two wickets each for India.
While the defeat is a setback, it may not be a major cause for concern in the context of preparing for the T20 World Cup, which will be played in home conditions. The Indian management is unlikely to read too much into the defeat, as the conditions in Australia are vastly different from those expected in India. The result also raises questions about India's tactics and lineup. Arshdeep Singh's exclusion from the eleven, in favor of Harshit Rana, might warrant a relook.
