Melbourne, Oct 31 (UNI) Australia held their nerve to edge past India by 4 wickets in the second T20I at the MCG today.
It was a contest with twists and turns, moments to savour, and plenty of drama along the way.
India’s innings never quite took off. They managed 125 all out in 18.4 overs despite a sparkling 68 from Abhishek Sharma.
Harshit Rana chipped in with 35, but the top order— Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma—fell like dominoes under pressure.
Joshi Hazlewood, Nathan Ellis, and Xavier Bartlett bowled with precision, and the Australians’ alert fielding produced runouts of Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah, highlighting India’s occasional lapses in judgment.
Abhishek Sharma was the star of the show, cutting, lofting, and pulling like a man possessed. But cricket, as we know, is a team game, and support was thin on the ground. Bartlett, Hazlewood, and Marcus Stoinis kept the pressure relentless.
Chasing 126, Australia looked comfortable from ball one. Mitchell Marsh was majestic, four sixes, two fours, taking the game to India.
Travis Head added his own fireworks, while Mitchell Owen (14) and Joshi Inglis (20) contributed useful cameos. Kuldeep Yadav (2/45) and Varun Chakaravarthy (2/23) fought back with wickets, and Jasprit Bumrah (2/26) nearly conjured a hat-trick, yet the Aussies stayed composed and saw the job through.
With the series now tied, the decider promises high drama. Both teams have skill, temperament, and nerves of steel. If this game was anything to go by, the final clash will be one to remember.
