Australia crush India in Melbourne T20I after dismal batting show by visitors; Abhishek scores 68

Melbourne [Australia], October 31 (ANI): Australia posted a commanding victory over India in the second T20I at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday as the visitors failed to perform with the bat except for a swashbuckling 68 from Abhishek Sharma and a useful 35 from Harshit Rana.

Skipper Surya Kumar Yadav failed to perform with the bat as the Indian team folded up on 126 without batting the full quota of 20 overs. Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the Australian bowlers and bagged three wickets for 13 runs. He removed Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma.

Australia had an easy task on hand and smoothly cruised to the target with captain Mitchell Marsh scoring 26-ball 46. The hosts reached the target with 6.4 overs to spare and are now 1-0 up in the five-match T20 series, with the first T20 having been washed out due to rain.

Most Indian batters struggled to get to double digits. Eight Indian batters contributed only 19 runs, with Abhishek and Harshit putting up 103 runs.

Suryakumar Yadav scored only one run. In the recently concluded T20 Asia Cup in September, Yadav scored 72 runs in seven matches at an average of just 18.00.

Chasing 126, Australian openers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head bashed Indian bowlers all over the park as the duo completed a 50-run stand for the opening wicket in just 25 balls.

The power play set it up for Australia. Head and Marsh went on the attack and didn't give India a chance.

Head, after playing a fiery innings of 28 runs off 15 balls, was removed by Varun Chakaravarthy in the 5th over, and Josh Inglis joined Marsh in the middle.

Marsh slammed Kuldeep Yadav in his first over for 20 runs before holding out on long off while trying to smash another six. At the time of his dismissal, Australia were 87-2 in eight overs.

Chakaravarthy showcased his mystery as he squared up Tim David for just one in the following over, as he chipped the ball back to Varun for an easy caught and bowl chance.

Australia reached the 100-run mark in the 10th over, after Mitchell Owen pushed the ball for a run towards deep backward square-leg.

In the same over, Owen was dropped by Harshit Rana, who was running in from deep mid-wicket. However, Yadav, in his next over, removed Inglis for run a ball 20 runs, and Marcus Stoinis joined Owen in the middle.

In the 13th over, Jasprit Bumrah took two back-to-back wickets, removing Owen and Matthew Short on 14 and 0, respectively.

Earlier in the match, Abhishek Sharma came to India's rescue with Harshit Rana in the supporting role to propel the visitors to 125.

Abhishek, the number one T20I batter in the world, hammered 68 off 37 while Harshit held the other end with a sturdy 33-ball 35.

The duo forged a 56-run partnership to keep India's hopes of posting a competitive total alive. Abhishek and Harshit were India's only two batters who managed to cross the double-digit mark.

Under the gloomy sky of Melbourne, Australia's mainstay Josh Hazlewood ran rampant with his blistering pace after India was put to bat by the hosts.

While Abhishek went about the business with his usual belligerent mindset, vice-captain Shubman Gill struggled to churn out runs in seaming conditions.

He tried to break free in the third but holed out to captain Mitchell Marsh and returned with a scratchy 5(10). Sanju Samson was promoted to number three from the middle order, but Nathan Ellis cut short his stay with a scorching delivery.

Nathan Ellis trapped him in front of the stumps with a sharp nipping back delivery, punching his return ticket on 2(4) in the fourth over. Abhishek counter-attacked by reeling in back-to-back boundaries off Ellis, but Australia stole the momentum away with Hazlewood luring an outside edge off India captain Suryakumar Yadav (1 off 4) to wicketkeeper Josh Inglis in the fifth.

Hazlewood further increased India's woes with Tilak Varma lasting just two balls before miscuing his shot to Inglis for a duck. India ended the power play with 40/4, and the trend of India losing wickets continued.

Axar Patel was run out by Tim David on 7(12) in the eighth, leading to a surprise promotion for Harshit. The scoreboard kept ticking with the duo frequently rotating the strike.

In the final moments of the partnership, Harshit smoked the ball into the stands before perishing against Xavier Bartlett. Shivam Dube (4) arrived at the crease and placed the ball for a four before edging it away to Inglis.

In the 18th, Abhishek walloped a four and towering maximum off Bartlett before Ellis pinned the young southpaw in front of the stumps with a toe-crushing yorker. Jasprit Bumrah was run out after a mix-up with Varun Chakaravarthy on the next ball as India bundled out on 125 in 18.4 overs.

Brief score: India 125/10 (Abhishek Sharma 68, Harshit Rana 35; Josh Hazlewood 3/13). Vs Australia 126/6 (Mitchell Marsh 46, Travis Head 28; Varun Chakaravarthy 2/23). (ANI)

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