Australia showcased their ruthless best under lights at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, silencing a sea of Indian fans as Josh Hazlewood’s pace and precision dismantled India’s batting order to hand the hosts a four-wicket win and a 1–0 lead in the T20I series.
Hazlewood’s spell — 4 overs, 3 wickets for 13 runs — was pure fast-bowling theatre. On a deck brimming with pace and bounce, he found seam, lift, and discomfort in equal measure. Even as Abhishek Sharma’s brilliant 68 off 37 gave India a fighting total of 125, Australia’s powerful top order, led by Mitchell Marsh’s explosive 46 and Travis Head’s quickfire 28, chased it down with 40 balls to spare.
The final scoreline — Australia 126/6 (Marsh 46) beat India 125 (Abhishek 68, Hazlewood 3-13) — might suggest a close contest, but the gulf in discipline and confidence was unmistakable.
Hazlewood Sets the Tone with a Fiery Opening Spell
From the very first over, Hazlewood was in vintage Test-match mode — length perfect, lines tight, and intent lethal.
His first delivery nipped back off the seam and struck Shubman Gill on the pad, nearly trapping him lbw before DRS saved the opener thanks to the MCG’s trademark bounce.
The second ball straightened off the seam and zipped past the outside edge. The third — a vicious bouncer — crashed into Gill’s helmet. For a moment, 82,000 fans fell silent, especially poignant just minutes after the pre-match tribute to Ben Austin.
Gill was cleared to continue, but the psychological damage was done. He never looked settled again. Eventually, he miscued a lofted drive straight to mid-off. Hazlewood had his reward, and India were 13 for 1.
“It was classic Hazlewood,” said commentator Michael Clarke on air. “Relentless areas, intelligent use of bounce — no freebies at all.”
India’s Middle Order Folds Under Pressure
Sanju Samson, promoted to No. 3, was undone by Nathan Ellis’ subtle change of pace, trapped lbw for a brief 7. Then Hazlewood returned to torment Suryakumar Yadav, producing a vicious lifter that brushed the gloves. Josh Inglis put down a tough chance — but the next ball, Hazlewood found the outside edge perfectly. Inglis held on.
Tilak Varma followed two balls later, gloving an attempted flick off a rising delivery that caught the splice. By the end of the powerplay, India were 40 for 4, shell-shocked by Hazlewood’s relentless spell.
Hazlewood’s figures at that point: 3 for 6 in 3 overs. His command was surgical; his rhythm, unstoppable.
Abhishek Sharma’s Lone Stand Amid Collapse
If India’s innings had any color, it was painted entirely by Abhishek Sharma. Playing only his fifth T20I, the left-hander looked like he was operating on a different pitch.
He opened up early against Xavier Bartlett, carving 14 runs in one over — including an outrageous inside-out six over extra cover to a delivery that pitched outside leg stump. Against Nathan Ellis, he adapted again, skipping across his crease to uppercut a slower bouncer over short third for four.
His half-century came in just 23 balls, full of audacity and instinct. But what made it extraordinary was context — India’s other batters contributed just 44 runs combined.
“Abhishek was playing a different game tonight,” said Sunil Gavaskar on commentary. “He had intent, he had game awareness, and he deserved a better result.”
The left-hander faced just 37 balls out of India’s 111, a reflection of how little strike he got amid collapses. A painful mix-up saw Axar Patel run out for 7, and Abhishek was left stranded for long stretches.
He finally found some support in Harshit Rana (35 off 33), who absorbed pressure and rotated the strike just enough to help push India past 120. Abhishek’s dismissal — lbw to a pin-point Ellis yorker in the 19th over — ended India’s hopes of setting anything remotely competitive.
Australia’s Chase – Composed, Controlled, and Clinical
Facing Jasprit Bumrah under MCG floodlights is never easy. But Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh played the conditions like seasoned pros.
Bumrah started with menace, extracting sharp bounce and late seam movement. Yet, Marsh stayed disciplined — defending and leaving on length, while Head counterpunched. He scooped Bumrah over mid-on to break the shackles, then flicked Harshit Rana over the ropes with authority.
Head’s 28 off 15 may seem short-lived, but it was instrumental. His intent nullified India’s early aggression, giving Marsh the breathing space to assess conditions before launching into full gear.
Marsh the enforcer
Once settled, Mitchell Marsh shifted through the gears like a machine. Having survived a fiery spell from Bumrah — including a 146kph yorker that he somehow dug out — Marsh responded in kind.
He took 24 runs off 10 balls from Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav combined, peppering the second tier with his signature pulls and straight hits.
By the time he fell for 46 off 26, Australia had already coasted past 100, needing just 26 more runs to seal victory.
“That’s the Marsh effect — he absorbs early heat, then detonates in overs 7 to 10,” said Aaron Finch during commentary. “It’s why he’s Australia’s most important T20 batter right now.”
Bumrah’s Late Strikes Add Drama but Not Enough
Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav briefly revived Indian hopes with four wickets between them. Varun bowled with precision, finishing 2 for 23, and Bumrah struck twice in consecutive balls with Australia needing two to win — but by then, the match had long drifted away.
Australia reached 126/6 in just 13.2 overs, their dominance making the four-wicket margin deceptive. The real story lay in their control and composure — a team playing at home, but in front of a crowd that cheered for the opposition.
Hazlewood’s Brilliance in Numbers
| Spell | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Economy | Dot Balls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazlewood | 4 | 13 | 3 | 3.25 | 17 |
It wasn’t express pace but relentless accuracy that broke India. His average length — back of a good length, just outside off — produced both seam and bounce, a deadly combination.
Even his solitary boundary conceded came off an edge. Otherwise, every delivery carried menace — probing, testing, punishing.
Hazlewood’s performance at the MCG reaffirmed his status as one of cricket’s finest modern-day quicks — capable of transferring his Test-match control seamlessly into the T20 format.
Australia’s Depth and Control Give Them the Edge
Beyond Hazlewood’s spell, Australia’s bowling attack functioned as a unit. Nathan Ellis (2/21) and Xavier Bartlett (2/39) executed their roles perfectly, mixing pace, cutters, and yorkers to deny India any late momentum.
Fielding too was sharp — especially in the deep, where Australia saved nearly 10 runs through direct cuts and one-handed saves near the ropes.
The win also highlighted the flexibility of their lineup. Without relying on Glenn Maxwell or Tim David, Australia’s middle order still cruised home — a luxury India couldn’t match.
India’s Takeaways — Lessons in Control and Composure
For India, the takeaway was clear: their batting needs more intent up top and better rotation in the middle. Abhishek Sharma emerged as the only silver lining, his fearless strokeplay earning respect even from Australian fans.
Shubman Gill’s struggles against hard lengths and bounce, coupled with Suryakumar’s poor shot selection, will worry India ahead of the next game in Sydney.
The bowling looked decent — Bumrah sharp, Varun clever — but defending 125 against Australia on a fast pitch was always going to be a losing battle.
The focus now shifts to the second T20I in Sydney, where conditions will favor batting. India will hope for a better showing from their top order, while Australia will aim to continue their dominance.
For now, though, it was Hazlewood’s night — a reminder that in a format obsessed with chaos, there’s still room for beauty in control.
Match Summary
India: 125 all out (Abhishek 68, Hazlewood 3-13, Ellis 2-21)
Australia: 126/6 in 13.2 overs (Marsh 46, Head 28, Varun 2-23)
Result: Australia won by 4 wickets (lead 1–0 in the series)
Player of the Match: Josh Hazlewood
