Hazlewood's 3-13 Demolishes India as Australia Seize T20I Series Lead

Travis Head's 28 provided early impetus, and along with Marsh's knock, ensured that the hosts reached home in a chase of 126 with 40 balls remaining, despite a few wickets falling at the fag end. India's bowlers did manage to inject some late drama into the contest, but it was too little, too late.

The win was set up by Hazlewood's decisive opening spell, as he extracted seam movement, bounce, and maintained a probing length to ensure India's innings never quite recovered from the early tatters in power-play. The rest of the bowling unit offered solid support to bowl out India for 125 in 18.4 overs, despite Abhishek Sharma top-scoring with 68.

Australia's chase was aided early by an uncharacteristically expensive over from Jasprit Bumrah, as he conceded 18 runs in the third over. That released early pressure and handed momentum to the hosts. Harshit Rana's no-ball and being hit for two sixes added to India's woes, as 20 runs came off the fourth over.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav was forced to turn to his spin-bowling options, and Varun Chakaravarthy provided India with their first breakthrough - dismissing a rollicking Head courtesy of a sensational boundary catch from Tilak Varma, who tossed the ball in the air, went out, and then came back in to complete the catch.

Marsh continued to lead Australia's charge by punishing anything in the good-length zone with powerful strokes through the leg side off Kuldeep and Chakaravarthy. India did manage to remove Marsh for 46 off 26 balls in the eighth over when Kuldeep's wide and full delivery forced him to hole out to long-off. Ironically, the over also turned out to be Kuldeep's most expensive in T20Is, leaking 20 runs.

Chakaravarthy struck again to dismiss Tim David, who pushed forward with hard hands and could only offer a return catch back to the spinner. Kuldeep came back to trap Josh Inglis lbw with a quicker delivery, while Mitchell Owen nicked behind off Bumrah, who castled Matthew Short for a duck. Despite the late wobble, Marcus Stoinis ensured that Australia managed to get over the line and go into the lead in the series.

Previously, while all batters failed to deliver in an underwhelming batting performance, Abhishek mixed power with placement and found gaps with ease in his counterattacking knock laced with eight fours and two sixes.

He also stitched a 56-run stand with Harshit Rana, who was promoted to number seven and made it count by making 35 off 33 balls, though his extended time on strike arguably disrupted India's momentum, with Abhishek often left waiting at the non-striker's end.

India's innings began with a burst of intent from Abhishek, who flicked and lofted Xavier Bartlett for four and six respectively. But Australia managed to halt India's momentum as Shubman Gill miscued a loft to mid-off against Hazlewood, while Sanju Samson's stay was short-lived as Nathan Ellis got one to seam back in and trap him lbw.

With the wicket offering movement, India's batters struggled to settle as Suryakumar Yadav edged behind off Hazlewood, while Tilak Varma miscued a flick to deep square leg and handed Hazlewood his second scalp of the over, as India lost four wickets in the Power-play.

A mix-up leading to Axar Patel's run-out added to India's woes, and with their innings in disarray, Rana and Abhishek hit a couple of boundaries each to help India regain some rhythm. Abhishek continued to bat with flair and got his half-century off just 23 balls.

But Rana's dismissal - caught by Tim David off Bartlett - ended a vital stand that kept India afloat. After that, India's innings nosedived as Shivam Dube nicked behind off Bartlett, while Kuldeep Yadav holed out to mid-on off Marcus Stoinis.

Abhishek's fun ended when he was trapped lbw by Ellis, while Jasprit Bumrah's run out ensured India's innings wrapped up quickly, where batters minus Abhishek and Rana made only 22 runs.

Brief scores:

India 125 all out in 18.4 overs (Abhishek Sharma 68, Harshit Rana 35; Josh Hazlewood 3-13, Nathan Ellis 2-21) lost to Australia 126/6 in 13.2 overs (Mitchell Marsh 46, Travis Head 28, Varun Chakaravarthy 2-23, Kuldeep Yadav 2-45) by four wickets

- IANS