Josh Hazlewood's fiery spell of 3 for 13 set up Australia's emphatic four-wicket victory over India in the second T20 at the MCG, with 82,438 fans watching on. After the series opener was washed out, Australia took a 1-0 lead with a commanding performance.
Captain Mitch Marsh won the toss and elected to bowl first, and Hazlewood silenced the pro-Indian crowd from the outset. India were bowled out for 125 in 18.4 overs, with opener Abhishek Sharma top-scoring with 68 off 37 balls. Harshit Rana made 35, but no other batter reached double figures.
In reply, Marsh smashed 46 off 24 balls, including a towering six into the second level of the Olympic Stand, one of the biggest ever at the venue. He and Travis Head (28) put on a quickfire partnership before Marsh fell caught at long off. Australia lost 4 for 39 after his dismissal, including Jasprit Bumrah taking a hat-trick, but chased down the target with 40 balls to spare, finishing at 126-6 in 13.2 overs.
Hazlewood's night could have been even better, with a dropped catch and a successful lbw review against him. Nathan Ellis took 2 for 21, while Xavier Bartlett recovered from a tough start to claim 2 for 39. A minute's silence was observed before the match for teenage cricketer Ben Austin, who died after being struck by a ball in nets.
