Australia rode on a vintage new-ball burst from Josh Hazlewood and a commanding knock from skipper Mitchell Marsh to script a four-wicket win over India in the first T20I at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Hazlewood’s fiery spell of 3-13 left India reeling in the Power-play before Marsh’s 46 off 26 balls guided the hosts home in a chase of 126 with 40 balls to spare, despite a brief fightback from India’s spinners
Hazlewood’s Early Strike Leaves India in Tatters
Put in to bat on a pitch offering movement, India’s top order crumbled against Hazlewood’s relentless accuracy and bounce. Shubman Gill miscued to mid-off, Sanju Samson was trapped lbw by Nathan Ellis, and Suryakumar Yadav edged behind off Hazlewood, who struck twice in one over to leave India at 32 for 4 inside the Power-play.
The way he (Hazlewood) bowled in the Power-play — if you’re four down that early, it’s difficult to recover. Well bowled to him.”
Abhishek Fights Alone
While wickets tumbled, Abhishek Sharma fought back with a sparkling 68 off 45 balls, mixing power with precision. His innings featured eight fours and two sixes, including a flicked six off Xavier Bartlett that set the tone for his counterattack.
Abhishek found brief support from Harshit Rana, who justified his promotion to No. 7 with a steady 35 off 33 balls in a 56-run stand for the seventh wicket. But with little help from the rest, India folded for 125 in 18.4 overs, as Hazlewood, Ellis (2-21), and Marcus Stoinis applied relentless pressure.
Abhishek has been doing this for quite some time now. He knows his game and his identity, and he’s not changing it anymore. Hopefully, he keeps playing many more knocks like this for us.
Marsh and Head Seal It Early
Australia’s chase began briskly as Travis Head (28) and Marsh capitalised on an expensive early burst from Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana, whose wayward fourth over went for 20 runs. Marsh punished anything in his zone, muscling Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy for boundaries through the leg side.
Marsh’s dismissal for 46, off Kuldeep, gave India a glimmer of hope, but the target was too modest to defend. Despite late strikes from Chakaravarthy and Bumrah, Marcus Stoinis held his nerve to finish the job in the 14th over.
Captain’s Call For Depth and Connection
Reflecting on the win, Marsh praised Hazlewood’s spell and highlighted Australia’s focus on building squad depth.
It was a good toss to win. There was a bit of moisture, and Hoff (Hazlewood) is a great bowler when there’s something in it. Since the last World Cup, we’ve tried to build a squad of 25 players who can come in, feel part of the team, and stay connected.
India’s Woes With the Bat Continue
Apart from Abhishek and Rana, no Indian batter reached double figures. A mix-up led to Axar Patel’s run-out, while Shivam Dube and Kuldeep Yadav fell cheaply. India’s total of 125 was their lowest against Australia in T20Is since 2017, underlining the top order’s continued vulnerability against high-quality pace in helpful conditions.
We need to bat well when batting first and then come out and defend. The Power-play makes all the difference.
Brief Scores: India 125 all out in 18.4 overs (Abhishek Sharma 68, Harshit Rana 35; Josh Hazlewood 3-13, Nathan Ellis 2-21) Australia 126/6 in 13.2 overs (Mitchell Marsh 46, Travis Head 28; Varun Chakaravarthy 2-23, Kuldeep Yadav 2-45) Result: Australia won by 4 wickets; lead 1-0 in five-match series.
