Australia Outclass India by Four Wickets in Melbourne Thriller; Hazlewood and Marsh Lead the Charge

Melbourne, October 31, 2025 — Australia claimed a convincing four-wicket victory over India in the second T20 International at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, taking a 1–0 lead in the series. The visitors struggled to recover from an early batting collapse, while Josh Hazlewood’s sharp bowling and Mitchell Marsh’s explosive batting powered Australia to a comfortable win.

India’s innings never quite took shape after they were invited to bat first. The top order faltered under relentless pace and movement from the Australian bowlers. Within the first six overs, India had stumbled to 49 for five, with key batters including Suryakumar Yadav and Ruturaj Gaikwad departing cheaply. The only real resistance came from Abhishek Sharma, who played a lone hand with a blistering 68 off 37 balls. His innings, laced with eight fours and two sixes, provided brief hope amid the collapse.

Harshit Rana added some lower-order grit, contributing 35 runs off 33 deliveries, as the pair shared a crucial 56-run partnership for the sixth wicket. However, once Sharma was dismissed, India’s innings unraveled quickly. Hazlewood was the standout with the ball, finishing with figures of 3 for 13 from his four overs, while Nathan Ellis chipped in with 2 for 21. The rest of the attack maintained pressure, restricting India to just 125 runs in 18.4 overs.

Australia began their chase with intent. Captain Mitchell Marsh led from the front, smashing 46 off 26 balls, including four towering sixes. Travis Head supported well with 28 runs, and the duo’s aggressive stroke play kept the scoring rate healthy. Despite a few wickets falling in the middle overs — with Kuldeep Yadav picking up two crucial dismissals — the hosts remained in control throughout.

Australia eventually reached the target in just 13.2 overs, finishing at 126 for six. Marsh’s leadership and timing with the bat ensured that India’s modest total never looked enough. For India, the bowling lacked penetration, and the early batting failures overshadowed Sharma’s valiant knock.

With this victory, Australia have taken the upper hand in the series, while India will need a swift turnaround to stay competitive in the remaining matches. Their next clash will be crucial if the visitors hope to regain momentum and keep the series alive.