Too many experiments? A rare day off with the bat? India’s think tank and batting unit endured a night to forget at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, October 31. India were sent in to bat and were bundled out for just 125, failing to occupy a crease for their full quota of 20 overs. Australia made light work of the modest target, chasing it down with 40 balls to spare with four wickets to spare thanks to captain Mitchell Marsh’s 26-ball 46 and Travis Head’s blistering start at the top.
For the first time since 2008, India slumped to a T20I defeat at the MCG, bringing their four-match winning streak at the iconic venue to an abrupt end. It was a comprehensive performance from Australia who outplayed India in all three departments in a match that lasted just 13.2 overs of their innings.
Josh Hazlewood again showed why he is rated among the best T20I bowlers in the world as he took three wickets in a devastating opening spell that decimated India’s top order. Playing his final match of the series before returning to Ashes preparations, Hazlewood rattled Suryakumar Yadav and his men on an overcast evening to get the new ball around the uncertain batsmen.
AUS vs IND 2nd T20I Highlights
In contrast, India’s pace leader Jasprit Bumrah struggled to get any help from the surface later in the night, allowing Marsh and Head to get off to a flying start. Picked ahead of Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana contributed with the bat but proved to be expensive after being asked to share the new responsibilities with the ball. The Kolkata Knight Riders pacer conceded 27 runs in his first two overs, allowing Australia to quickly gain control of the chase.
Promoted to bat at No.7 after showcasing his batting prowess in the ODIs in Adelaide earlier this month, Harshit put together India’s biggest innings partnership with Abhishek Sharma (56 off 47). Reunited at 49 for 5, the pair added vital runs to stem the collapse. Harshit scored 35 off 33 in the fight but whether his bowling struggles outweighed his batting contributions will be part of the Indian think tank’s tactical post-mortem.
Bumrah hit twice as many balls in his last match, although the match was almost decided by then. One of his deliveries – a searing yorker that ripped off Matthew Short’s stumps – was a reminder of his class, albeit too late to affect the result.
Spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each, but their efforts were not enough to bring India back into the contest after Marsh and Head opened with 51 runs in just 29 deliveries. India just couldn’t put any scoring pressure on the hosts as they reached the target to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
After a washed-out T20I opener in Canberra, Australia’s dominant display in Melbourne was a statement of intent – one that left the Indian supporters at the sold-out MCG disappointed and deflated.
– The end
Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
31 October 2025
