India vs Australia Highlights, 2nd T20I: Australia storms past India to win 2nd T20 by 4 wickets at MCG

Josh Hazlewood continued his devastating spell in the powerplay, claiming Tilak Varma for a duck off 2 balls. Attempting a flick, Tilak only managed a top edge that †Inglis comfortably took after a quick dive to his right. India’s top order is now in tatters at 32/4, and the pressure is mounting heavily on the middle order.

In the fourth over, Josh Hazlewood struck again, dismissing Suryakumar Yadav for 1 run off 4 balls. SKY’s second chance was short-lived as he mistimed a delivery, offering a straightforward catch to †Inglis. India now face a tricky situation at 32/3, needing a steady partnership to stabilize the innings.

At the end of the fourth over, India reached 32/2, with Abhishek Sharma leading the charge on 24 runs off 9 balls (3×4, 1×6). Suryakumar Yadav chipped in with 1 run off 1 ball. Nathan Ellis finished the over conceding 10 runs while picking up one wicket, and Josh Hazlewood had figures of 2-0-5-1. The Men in Blue look to rebuild quickly after early blows.

In the fourth over, India lost Sanju Samson for 2 runs off 4 balls. Nathan Ellis delivered a length ball that jagged in sharply, beating Samson’s inside edge and striking above the knee roll on the back pad. Samson reviewed the decision, but ball tracking confirmed it would have hit middle stump. His early promotion in the batting order didn’t pay off, leaving India at a precarious position.

After three overs, India stands at 22/1 with a current run rate of 7.33. Abhishek Sharma has taken charge with 15 runs off 6 balls, including a boundary and a six, while Sanju Samson is on 2 from 2 deliveries. Josh Hazlewood has claimed the early wicket, finishing with figures of 2-0-5-1, and Xavier Bartlett has bowled 1 over for 17 runs.

Shubman Gill’s promising start comes to an end as he picks out mid-off. Hazlewood, who has troubled Gill throughout the innings, bowls a full delivery outside off, and Gill mistimes his loft attempt down the ground. Pat Marsh backtracks and takes a reverse-cupped catch, sending Gill back for 5 runs off 10 balls (0x4, 0x6, SR 50).

Abhishek Sharma steps down the track once more and punishes a full delivery from Bartlett. Attempting to follow him, the bowler bowls too full, and Abhishek lofts it inside-out over cover for a magnificent six. India hit back in style with Abhishek taking charge early in the innings.

Abhishek Sharma finds the gap for India’s first boundary of the innings. He charges a full toss on leg and wallops it through the covers. Though the shot was in the air at a potentially catchable height, it lands perfectly in the gap, racing away to the boundary.

A full delivery on middle, swinging back in, sees Abhishek Sharma step forward and whip it over square leg. The field was well-positioned at deep backward square, so he only manages two runs. India start finding the gaps as Abhishek begins to settle into his innings

After the first over, India are 1/0 with a current run rate of 1.00. Shubman Gill has scored 1 run off 6 balls, while Abhishek Sharma is yet to face a delivery. Josh Hazlewood finishes the over with figures of 1-0-1-0, keeping India under early control despite minimal scoring.

Mitchell Hazlewood continues his fiery spell as Shubman Gill gets a frightful blow on the helmet. Attempting a front-foot pull to a back-of-length delivery around off, Gill mistimes it and the ball crashes into his forehead. The Indian opener survives again, but Hazlewood is clearly making his presence felt early in the innings.

Mitchell Hazlewood made a fiery start, trapping Shubman Gill in front on the very first delivery. The full, swinging ball beat Gill’s inside edge and hit his pads, prompting an immediate review. Snicko confirmed there was no bat involved, and ball tracking showed it would have sailed well over the leg stump. Gill survives a nervy moment to kick off India’s innings.

India’s new T20 vice-captain, Shubman Gill, impressed in the rain-hit opener, remaining unbeaten on 37 off just 20 balls. Renowned for anchoring innings before accelerating, Gill will be crucial in providing India a solid foundation at the MCG. With 705 runs in 28 T20Is at a strike rate above 140, including a century and three fifties, he will aim to build on his promising start and play a match-defining knock in the second clash.

Both India and Australia, along with their support staff, are wearing black armbands today as a mark of respect and tribute to Ben Austin. The gesture reflects the cricketing community’s solidarity in remembering the late individual and honoring his contributions.

At 6:45 PM, Ravi Shastri set the stage with his high-energy introduction as the coin went up. Mitchell Marsh gave it a flip, and Suryakumar Yadav called it wrong. Australia won the toss and opted to bowl first.

Team News and Strategy

Australia made one change, bringing in Matt Short for Josh Philippe. India remain unchanged. Suryakumar Yadav said, “That’s the brand of cricket we want to play, [attacking] as soon as we go in. It starts with Abhishek, he has been setting the tone along with Gill. Shubman Gill, he knows how to score runs and with him you have to run hard as well between the wickets.”

1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

1 Travis Head, 2 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Tim David, 5 Mitch Owen, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Matt Short, 8 Xavier Bartlett, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Matt Kuhnemann, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Ravi Shastri kicks things off with his trademark energy as the coin goes up in the chilly Melbourne air. Suryakumar Yadav calls it, but gets it wrong — Mitchell Marsh wins the toss and opts to bowl first.

Australia will look to make early inroads under the overcast skies, while India aim to put up a strong total at the iconic MCG.

“It’s overcast and cold. I think it might get a touch slower as the game goes on, but overall, brilliant wicket for batting,” says Finch.

Both captains, Suryakumar Yadav and Mitchell Marsh, are out in the middle sharing a light moment before the toss as they exchange team sheets. The stage is set for an exciting contest at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The toss for the second T20 between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is set to take place shortly. Both teams are expected to finalize their playing XI and strategize based on pitch conditions and the looming weather forecast.

India have a strong record at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, winning four of their six T20Is here.

Australia’s Mitchell Marsh is just four runs away from reaching 2000 T20I runs, while India’s Sanju Samson needs seven runs for 1000, and Tilak Varma requires 38 runs to reach the same milestone.

India pacer Jasprit Bumrah is four wickets shy of completing 100 wickets in T20Is, a landmark achievement in the shortest format.

Australia WWWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)

India WWWWW

The Melbourne Cricket Ground offers a balanced yet competitive environment for both batters and bowlers. While spinners have traditionally struggled to make an impact here, pacers have often dominated, making it a challenging venue to post big totals.

Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, KL Yadav, H Rana, Abhishek Sharma, SA Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, SV Samson (wk), S Dubey, Varun Chakravarthy, JJ Bumrah

TM Head, MR Marsh (C), Mitchell Owen, Xavier Bartlett, Josh Hazlewood, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan Ellis, JP Inglis (wk), JR Philippe, Tim David, MP Stoinis

Shubman Gill, who impressed with a solid start in the previous match, will be looking to convert it into a match-winning innings for India.

He faces Australia’s Nathan Ellis, a bowler renowned for his clever variations in white-ball cricket, who will aim to exploit any mistakes and give his team an early edge.

Abhishek Sharma, the rising star of T20 cricket known for his fearless strokeplay and game-changing innings, will aim to continue his remarkable run in the upcoming clash.

He faces a stern test against Australia’s seasoned pacer Josh Hazlewood, who is expected to lead the attack in the first six overs and strike early to put pressure on the Indian top order.

The IND vs AUS match will be played on October 31 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne. The game will start at 1:45 PM IST.

IND- Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav

AUS- Mitchell Marsh, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood

Fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground should brace for wet conditions as there is a 93% chance of rain during the match. Temperatures are expected to range between a maximum of 20°C and a minimum of 12°C, which could impact play and strategies for both India and Australia in the 2nd T20 clash.