Key Points
- Australia chased down 126 in just 13.4 overs, led by Mitchell Marsh’s 46 and Travis Head’s 28.
- India were bowled out for 125, with Josh Hazlewood taking 3 wickets for 13 runs.
- Australia faced a brief scare with quick wickets, but Marcus Stoinis and Xavier Bartlett sealed the win.
- Abhishek Sharma’s 68 was the highlight for India, but regular wickets kept the hosts in control.
MELBOURNE: Australia defeated India by four wickets in the second T20I of the five-match series on Friday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), taking a 1-0 lead.
Chasing a modest target of 126, the hosts made light work of the chase, reaching the target in just 13.4 overs. Captain Mitchell Marsh, along with Travis Head and Josh Inglis, provided the backbone of the chase.
Australia’s openers Head and Marsh got off to a flying start, putting on 50 runs in quick time. Head, who struck 28 off 15 balls, fell to Varun Chakravarthy with the score at 51-1 in the fifth over.
Marsh continued the momentum, smacking a quickfire 46 off 26 balls, including two fours and four sixes, before being dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav. With the score at 90-2, Australia appeared in control.
But a couple of quick wickets, Tim David (1) and Inglis (20), left the hosts at 90-4. Kuldeep and Chakravarthy’s bowling had put India back in the game, with Australia needing just 36 runs from 42 balls.
Despite the pressure, Marcus Stoinis (6*) and Xavier Bartlett (0*) sealed the win in the 14th over, with Australia reaching 126-6.
Earlier, Australia’s pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Xavier Bartlett, and Nathan Ellis dominated the Indian innings. India were bowled out for just 125 in 18.4 overs after Hazlewood took three wickets for 13 runs in four overs.
India’s top order crumbled early, with Shubman Gill (5), Sanju Samson (2), Suryakumar Yadav (1), and Tilak Varma (0) all falling cheaply. At 32-4, India were in deep trouble.
A spirited 68 from Abhishek Sharma, which included eight fours and two sixes, provided India with hope, but regular wickets kept Australia in control. Bartlett and Stoinis combined to dismiss Sharma, and the tail quickly folded.
The third T20I is set to take place in Hobart on Sunday, with Australia leading the series 1-0.
