Hazlewood breathes fire once again as Indian batters commit hara-kiri in 2nd T20 against Australia at MCG

Team India were off to a disastrous start after losing yet another toss in their ongoing white-ball tour of Australia, losing wickets in a heap inside the powerplay to get reduced to 40/4 inside the powerplay in the second T20I in Melbourne. Senior pacer Josh Hazlewood was the wrecker-in-chief, striking thrice in the first six overs of the Indian innings which included the wickets of captain Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma in one over.

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Hazlewood was among the standout bowlers in the ODI leg of India’s tour even if he did not finish as the leading wicket-taker. And after an expensive spell in the rain-affected first T20I in Canberra on Wednesday, the 34-year-old was back at his best at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

But it wasn’t just his exceptional bowling that resulted in the Indian collapse – while he got rid of Surya with an unplayable delivery, vice-captain Shubman Gill and Verma – the hero of India’s triumph in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan – falling to rash shots.

Gill, Verma pay the price for rash shots

Gill could barely clear mid off while attempting to smash Hazlewood out of the park, resulting in an easy catch for captain Mitchell Marsh, while Verma paid the price for a wild heave across the line that resulted in a top-edge and an easy catch for keeper Josh Inglis.

Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson didn’t make the most of a promotion either as he was trapped LBW off Nathan Ellis’ bowling, departing for 2 after facing just four deliveries.

Things would then go from bad to worse after the powerplay with all-rounder Axar Patel getting run out at the striker’s end for 7 just when he was starting to rebuild the innings in the company of opener Abhishek Sharma, with the Men in Blue getting reduced to 50/5 at the end of the eight over as a result.

Abhishek, meanwhile, was batting on 34 off 13 balls at the end of the eight, getting off to an explosive start at the MCG after his early exit at Canberra’s Manuka Oval. And he will be hoping to convert his start into a big score and steer the visitors to a competitive score.