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Team India went down without much of a fight against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, October 31. The hosts secured a comprehensive four-wicket win over the Men in Blue in the second T20I of the five-match series, chasing the 126-run target in just 13.2 overs.
After being put in to bat first, India suffered a batting collapse, losing four wickets in the powerplay. Opener Abhishek Sharma was the lone warrior, scoring 68 runs off 37 balls.
Pacer Harshit Rana, who was promoted to No. 7 ahead of all-rounder Shivam Duve, chipped in with a crucial 35-run knock from 33 deliveries. Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the Australian bowlers, recording stunning figures of 4-0-13-3.
Australia were off to an impressive start with the bat as Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head stitched together a 51-run opening stand in 28 balls. Marsh was the top performer with the bat, finishing with 46 runs from 26 deliveries.
For India, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah bagged two wickets apiece. Australia now lead the series 1-0. Notably, the first fixture ended in a no result due to rain.
Several Indian fans reacted to the side's embarrassing defeat, with most expressing their displeasure over the team selection and batting order. Here are some of the top reactions on X:
Very poor approach from India today it's look like they were playing practice match. #TeamIndia #AUSvIND #2ndT20I
@mufaddal_vohra What a Terrible team selection.. Harshit Rana over Arshdeep? 3 spinners on MCG wicket?
@BCCI You just can't go into a match in Australian conditions by benching your highest wicket taker in T20Is.
@BCCI Gambhir is really treating the Indian Cricket Team like a trial camp ! Arshdeep & Jaiswal deserve game time, not the bench! And that batting shuffle ? Total mess !
@BCCI Is Abhishek Sharma the only player that gets any practice on the Australian tour? Other Indian players look way below par compared to him. Such a damp squib after an exciting win in last night’s game. Pity! #TeamIndia #SuryakumarYadav #T20
@mufaddal_vohra Extremely disappointing performance from Team India today. There was no intent, no proper planning, and absolutely no execution on the field. The batting collapsed without resistance, the bowling lacked discipline, and the fielding looked half-hearted. This is not the level of
Hazlewood was adjudged the Player of the Match for his brilliant spell. Meanwhile, this was India's first T20I defeat in Melbourne since their nine-wicket loss to Australia at the venue on February 1, 2008.
"He's been doing this for a while now" - Team India skipper lauds Abhishek Sharma's quick-fire knock in AUS vs IND 2025 2nd T20I
Speaking in the post-match presentation, Suryakumar Yadav praised Abhishek Sharma's impactful knock under pressure. He hoped to see the southpaw continue backing his counter-attacking approach.,
Suryakumar also appreciated Josh Hazlewood's bowling exploits in the clash. He said (via Cricbuzz):
"The way he (Hazlewood) bowled in the powerplay - if you're four down early, it’s very difficult to recover. Credit goes to him; he bowled really well. He's (Abhishek) been doing this for a while now. He knows his game, knows his identity, and it’s good he's not changing it - that's what's brought him success. Hopefully, he sticks with it and plays many more knocks like this for us."Suryakumar Yadav and Co. will look to bounce back by coming up with an improved performance in the third T20I. The match will be played at Bellerive Oval, Hobart, on Sunday, November 2.
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Edited by Aditya Suketu Desai
English (US)