Hazlewood and Marsh dominate T20 as Australia beat India at MCG

[ad_1] A deadly spell from Josh Hazlewood has propelled Australia to an emphatic four-wicket Twenty20 win over India in entrance of 82,438 followers on the MCG.

After the opening recreation of the five-match collection in Canberra was washed out on Wednesday night time, Australia went 1-0 up with a commanding efficiency.

With the large crowd in Melbourne made up predominantly of Indian followers, Hazlewood silenced them from the start after captain Mitch Marsh gained one other toss and elected to bowl first.

After dismissing India for 125 off 18.4 overs, Marsh (46) and fellow opener Travis Head (28) went about attempting to finish the match as shortly as attainable, with Australia chasing down India's disappointing goal with a whopping 40 balls to spare, racing to 6-126 off 13.2 overs.

Marsh, who has been in scintillating white-ball kind, smashed one of many greatest ever sixes on the MCG when he blasted Harshit Rana into the second stage of the Olympic Stand.

After whacking 4 sixes, Marsh went for one huge shot too many and was caught at lengthy off with Australia 39 runs away from victory.

<img alt="Abhishek Sharma wearing India's orange and blue cricket clothing and a dark helmet, swinging a bat above his head mid-shot" class="Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq" sizes="100vw" src="https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/2f58f3951a0cf082a0be99586dc9ab5b?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&cropH=1492&cropW=2238&xPos=0&yPos=0&width=862&height=575" loading="lazy" data-component="Image" data-lazy="true"/> India was dismissed for simply 125 runs off 18.4 overs. ( AAP: James Ross )

Australia misplaced 4-39 after Marsh's dismissal, which included Jasprit Bumrah getting on a hat-trick, however have been by no means in any hazard of shedding the match.

Hazlewood by no means relented after seemingly taking a wicket with the primary ball of the match, which was then overturned on evaluation, to complete with figures of 3-13.

Opener Abhishek Sharma batted fantastically, enjoying a lone hand to save lots of India from embarrassment with 68 from 37 balls.

Sharma did not handle to seek out sufficient of the strike, nonetheless, for India to actually capitalise on his class.

All-rounder Harshit Rana (35 from 33 balls), who got here to the crease within the eighth over at No.7, solely confronted 4 much less deliveries than Sharma.

Hazlewood's night time might have been higher, with wicketkeeper Josh Inglis dropping a catch and Shubman Gill efficiently difficult an LBW dismissal.

<img alt="Australian and Indian cricket players standing in a single-file line with their national flags, in the MCG" class="Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq" sizes="100vw" src="https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/4b1906cd481555f95af68c3abe066070?impolicy=wcms_crop_resize&cropH=3333&cropW=5000&xPos=0&yPos=0&width=862&height=575" loading="lazy" data-component="Image" data-lazy="true"/> The Australian and Indian cricket groups paid tribute to teen cricketer Ben Austin, who died after being struck by a ball in Melbourne's east. ( AAP: James Ross )

The professional-Indian crowd have been jubilant early as Sharma was capable of take Xavier Bartlett for 17 from the second over.

However Hazlewood's deadly line and size shocked India, decreasing the vacationers to 4-32 from 5 overs.

The 34-year-old's second over ended with two wickets and only one run.

When all-rounder Axar Patel was run out in sloppy circumstances to stoop to 5-49, India's hopes of constructing a aggressive whole have been all however shot.

Bartlett (2-39) recovered from a difficult begin, dismissing Rana and Shivam Dube.

However Sharma was once more capable of pay money for the Queenslander, with 17 runs coming off his fourth and remaining over.

Nathan Ellis additionally bowled effectively, ending with figures of 2-21.

A tribute for teenage cricketer Ben Austin, who tragically died after being struck by a ball whereas batting within the nets on Tuesday afternoon in Ferntree Gully in Melbourne's east, occurred earlier than the sport.