India’s 17-year unbeaten run in Melbourne ends as Australia clinch victory with 40 balls to spare

Melbourne (The Uttam Hindu): The Indian team suffered a defeat in the second T20I against Australia. Following a poor batting performance, the Indian team also disappointed with their bowling, losing the match by four wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Australia achieved the target 40 balls early thanks to a blistering innings from captain Mitchell Marsh.

Chasing a modest target of 126 runs, Australia got off to a quick and solid start with skipper Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head. The duo added 51 runs for the first wicket in 4.3 overs. Head was dismissed for 28 runs off 15 balls with the help of 3 fours and 1 six. Marsh shared a 36-run partnership for the second wicket with wicketkeeper batsman Josh Inglis. Marsh was dismissed for 46 runs off 26 balls with 4 sixes and 2 fours. Tim David was dismissed for 1, Inglis for 20, Mitchell Owen for 14 and Matt Short for 0. Stoinis remained unbeaten on 6 and Bartlett for 0. Australia won the match by 4 wickets by scoring 126 runs for 6 wickets in 13.2 overs.

For India, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets each. Earlier, Australia won the toss and elected to bowl. The Indian team's batting was extremely disappointing, being all out for 125 runs in 18.4 overs. Opener Abhishek Sharma top-scored for India with 68 runs. Abhishek hit two sixes and eight fours in his 37-ball innings. Abhishek was dismissed for the ninth wicket. Harshit Rana, batting at number seven, scored 35 runs off 33 balls. Rana hit three fours and one six. Apart from these two, no other player managed to reach double figures. Josh Hazlewood bowled brilliantly for Australia, taking three wickets for 13 runs in four overs. Xavier Bartlett took two, Nathan Ellis two, and Marcus Stoinis one.