Hazlewood and Marsh dominate T20 as Australia beat India at MCG

Hazlewood and Marsh dominate as Australia beat India at MCG

Josh Hazlewood delivered a fierce bowling performance that drove Australia to a convincing four-wicket victory over India in front of 82,438 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. India was bowled out for 125 in 18.4 overs, and Australia reached 126 for six in just 13.2 overs, with 40 balls remaining.

This result gives Australia a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20 series, after the opening game in Canberra was abandoned due to rain. The energetic Melbourne crowd, largely supporting India, fell quiet early as Hazlewood struck with precision following captain Mitch Marsh’s decision to bowl first.

Marsh and Head chase decisively

Following the dismissals by Hazlewood, Mitch Marsh (46) and Travis Head (28) opened aggressively, quickly steering Australia toward the modest target. Marsh’s power hitting included one of the biggest sixes ever seen at the MCG, sending Harshit Rana’s delivery into the second tier of the Olympic Stand.

“Marsh, who has been in scintillating white-ball form, smashed one of the biggest ever sixes at the MCG,” the report noted.

However, his attacking style led to his dismissal when he was caught at long off, leaving Australia needing 39 more runs for victory. Despite losing four wickets for 39 runs — including Jasprit Bumrah nearly claiming a hat-trick — Australia’s win was never in doubt.

Series outlook

With this commanding performance, Australia gained early momentum in the series and will look to build on their confidence heading into the remaining matches.

Author's summary: Hazlewood’s precision and Marsh’s explosive batting powered Australia to a dominant win over India, setting the tone for a strong start in the T20 series.

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation Australian Broadcasting Corporation — 2025-10-31

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