So, whatâs next? Australia will back themselves to chase this comfortably. The pitch looks fine, and it just demands discipline. India will need early wickets, lots of them, and perhaps a bit of magic from Bumrah or Kuldeep to make this total look defendable. For now, Australia sit pretty with the upper hand, while Indiaâs hopes rest on a fiery start with the ball. Can they fight back from 125? Or will the Aussies make it look easy under lights? Grab your popcorn, as the chase is about t
Josh Hazlewood, who took a three-fer, is up for a quick chat.
Then, unexpectedly, Harshit Rana was sent up the order before Shivam Dube, who played a gritty and gutsy hand. Along with Abhishek, he added a fighting 56-run stand, bringing India back from the brink. Ranaâs 35 had a blend of patience and bravery, while Abhishek reached his fifty in just 23 balls. For a moment, it felt like India were climbing back. But Bartlett spoiled the party, dismissing both Rana and Dube in the same over. Stoinis followed with Kuldeepâs wicket, and once Abhishek f
The carnage didnât stop there. Josh Hazlewood bowled his spell straight through, and what a masterclass it was. Four overs. Three wickets. Just 13 runs conceded. Like clockwork precision. The ball swung a little, seamed a bit, but mostly, Hazlewoodâs control made it unplayable. Ellis joined the act too, trapping Samson and later Abhishek with sharp deliveries. Amid the chaos, Abhishek stood tall, timed crisply, placed perfectly, and showed his intent clearly. While partners kept walking
Suryakumar Yadav called wrong again at the toss, and Australia chose to bowl. Their pacers repaid them instantly. Abhishek gave India a zippy start, striking boundaries, while Gill looked scratchy and fell early after surviving a first-ball LBW scare. Samson and SKY followed in quick succession - both undone by the sheer precision of Aussie pacers. Then came Tilak Varma, and the poor lad barely got a look before getting dismissed too. From 18/0 to 40/4 in the Powerplay, Indiaâs bright b
A storm of wickets and a spark of brilliance. Australia dominate, India stumble to 125! What a first half weâve had in Melbourne. The Aussies, after electing to bowl, turned the MCG into a maze for the Indian batters. The pitch offered a bit, sure, but it was more about relentless accuracy and smart bowling. Only one man - Abhishek Sharma - looked like he was playing on a different strip altogether, smashing a stunning 68 off 37. Apart from him, though, Indiaâs innings resembled a music
Nathan Ellis to Jasprit Bumrah, ! BUMRAH IS RUN OUT!
Jasprit Bumrah is the last man in.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, ! LBW! Nathan Ellis gets the big wicket of Abhishek Sharma!
Is this ? Abhishek Sharma is given LBW out by the umpire and he has reviewed it straightaway. The third umpire is called in and there is nothing on the UltraEdge. Ball Tracking shows three reds with the ball projecting to hit the middle stump.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Good wide yorker, outside off, Abhishek Sharma loses his bottom hand and jams it out towards extra covers.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, A low full toss, outside off, Abhishek Sharma backs away a bit too much. He has to reach out for it and slices it towards deep point but does not take the run.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Low full toss, on off, Abhishek Sharma drills it through cover-point for one and retains the strike. 15 runs off the over!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Back of a length and around middle, Abhishek Sharma pulls it away wide of deep mid-wicket for a couple of more runs.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Slower one, full and on middle, Abhishek Sharma tucks it away with softs hands through mid-wicket and comes back for the second run. Good running!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Six!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, ! Put away!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Slower one, on a length and around off, Abhishek Sharma moves across early to scoop it away but misses as the ball goes off his pads towards the keeper.
Marcus Stoinis to Varun Chakaravarthy, No run.
Varun Chakaravarthy walks in next to bat.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, ! TAKEN! Another one bites the dust! The dot-ball pressure was buidling and Marcus Stoinis gets his first wicket now.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, Three dots in a row now! Hits the length hard and well outside off, takes pace off again, does Stoinis. Kuldeep Yadav steps across but then withdraws his bat, seeing the ball close to the wide guideline. However, the umpire signals nothing, as this is just inside it.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, Nice change of pace! Back of a length and around off, Kuldeep Yadav tries to guide it away but misses due to the lack of pace.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, Good fielding! Fuller and on off, Kuldeep Yadav drives it wide of short covers. Mitchell Marsh dives to his right to stop the single here.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a length and outside off, Abhishek Sharma slaps it towards sweeper covers for a single. Yadav wants the second but is sent back.
Xavier Bartlett to Kuldeep Yadav, No run.
Xavier Bartlett to Kuldeep Yadav, No run.
Kuldeep Yadav is in at 9.
Xavier Bartlett to Shivam Dube, ! EDGED AND GONE! Xavier Bartlett gets his second in the over!
Xavier Bartlett to Shivam Dube, ! Streaky way to get off the mark! Short of a length and just around off, holds its line. Shivam Dube has poke away from his body and gets a thick outside edge towards the third man fence for a boundary.
Shivam Dube walks in next to bat.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, ! TAKEN! Xavier Bartlett strikes! The budding 56-run stand has been finally broken now.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, No run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, A low full toss, down leg, following the batter. Rana backs away and pushes it towards cover for a single.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, ! BELTED! Back of a length and around off, Harshit Rana remains deep in his crease and pulls it powerfully over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, BEATEN! A slower delivery, on a length and outside off, Rana crouches and tries to slog across but misses to connnect as he gets deceived by the lack of pace on it.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, A full toss, outside off, Rana backs away and slices it to the left of deep point for a couple of runs.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Short of a length and around off, Harshit presses back and tries to pull but misses due to extra bounce.
Marcus Stoinis (2-0-14-0)Â replaces Matthew KuhnemannÂ
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, After seeing the batter backing away, Marcus bowls it full and wide outside off, Rana has to leave it as he can't reach out. He looks frustrated with himself.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, On the fuller side, around off, Abhishek taps it down to cover off the front foot.
Nathan Ellis to Harshit Rana, Short of a length and outside off, with pace taken off. Harshit uses his feet and adjusts well his shot to swat it to mid off for a quick single.
Nathan Ellis to Harshit Rana, Fires a yorker, right at the blockhole, around middle, does Ellis. Harshit jams it back to the bowler.
Nathan Ellis to Harshit Rana, Lands it full and on leg, does Nathan. Rana gets forward and nudges it in the gap with soft hands towards deep mid-wicket. Both batters push each other and take two runs before the deep mid-wicket fielder could pick the ball and throw it to the non-striker's end.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a length and around middle and leg, Abhishek clips it to deep backward square leg for one.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, A slower delivery, back of a length and around middle. Abhishek tries to cut but the ball shapes back in and follows the batter with some awkward bounce. Sharma gets cramped and gets hit on his gloves and then the ball hits his chest before rolling down beside the pitch on the leg side.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Abhishek Sharma, Slower through the air, short and around leg, tucked away to deep backward square leg for a single by AS.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Keeps it shorter and around off, does Matthew. Rana punches it through covers for one.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Four!
Matthew Kuhnemann to Abhishek Sharma, FIFTY FOR ABHISHEK SHARMA! Short and outside off, Sharma waits back and cuts it in the gap towards deep backward point for a single to bring his milestone. This is his sixth T20I fifty and this has been a gem of an innings so far. He has holded one end very well and all the hopes of India lies on him.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Follows the batter, short and around leg, Rana backs away and punches it to beat the diving cover fielder to his left for a single.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Abhishek Sharma, A low full toss, around off, drilled down to the left of long off for a single by Abhishek. He moves to 49.
Slight halt!
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Back of a length, angling in, around leg, Rana gets cramped as he looks to flick it but misses. Gets beaten on the inside edge and gets hit above on his back thigh. He looks in pain and goes down on his haunches. The physio is out.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, WIDE! A bumper angling down the leg side. Rana tries to pull but misses. Called a wide.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Four!
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, Much fuller and around leg, Sharma goes deep in his crease and nudges it to deep backward square leg for a single.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Pitches up, full and around off, does Marcus. Rana drives it to the left of mid off for a quick single.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Bye! Short of a length but slides down the leg side. Harshit Rana presses back and looks to pull it but misses. The ball touches his arm and goes to the left of the keeper behind the wickets. Josh Inglis flings himself fully to that side but fails to cling it. Ends up parrying it away towards deep fine. A bye is sneaked.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Much shorter and outside off, Harshit gets across and clips it to wide long on for one.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Spinning away, a bit shorter and around off, Harshit taps it back to the left of the bowler.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, ! SLICED! Shorter in length and outside off, Harshit Rana goes back and goes hard on his shot. Gets it sliced a bit uppishly but in the gap between backward point and short third for a boundary.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Nagging length and around off, Rana hangs back and defends it into the deck.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, No run.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Short and outside off, punched down to cover off the back foot.
DRINKS! It has been a one-man show for India so far, with Abhishek Sharma showing his punches and form as he has racked up 46 runs in just 19 balls with 7 boundaries and one six. He has been rock solid at one end.
Mitchell Owen to Abhishek Sharma, ! Easy pickings! Short and around leg, Abhishek Sharma gets inside the line of it and just helps it on its way towards the deep backward square leg fence for another boundary. He moves to 46 now.13 runs off Owen's first over!
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, 1 run.
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, Back of a length and just outside off, Harshit Rana gets on top of the bounce and cuts it towards deep point for a brace.
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, Full again and on off, Harshit Rana drives it firmly but straight towards extra covers.
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, Wide!
Mitchell Owen to Abhishek Sharma, On a length and on leg, Abhishek Sharma clips it through square leg for a run.
Mitchell Owen to Abhishek Sharma, ! Welcome to the game, Mitchell Owen! Short of a length and outside off, begging to be put away. Abhishek Sharma gets the chance to free his arms and crunches it over point for a boundary. Looks like he is batting on an entirely different pitch here.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, In the air....SAFE!
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, Much fuller and on leg, Abhishek Sharma drills it towards long on for a run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, 1 run.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, Back of a length and on off, Harshit Rana punches it towards cover-point for a single.
Surprisingly, Harshit Rana has been sent up the order to bat at number 7 by the Indian management.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, No run.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, No run.
Xavier Bartlett to Axar Patel, ! AXAR PATEL IS RUN OUT! Absolute chaos in the middle!
Is that a run out? That looks out to the naked eye.Â
Xavier Bartlett to Axar Patel, Hits the length hard and on middle, jags back in a bit, Axar Patel gets a bit late on his shot and stabs it back to the bowler.
Xavier Bartlett to Axar Patel, ! A touch chance though!
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, On a length and around off, Axar Patel stabs it towards extra covers for one. Josh Hazlewood finishes his spell with incredible figures of 4-0-13-3!
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, No run.
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, Hard length and on middle and off, Axar Patel stays back and pats it towards point.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a length and on middle, gets some extra bounce, Abhishek Sharma hops up but fails to ride the bounce. He just dabs it down behind the stumps and to the left of the keeper for a run.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, EDGE AND ! Luck favouring Abhishek Sharma here!
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, Back of a length and around off, Axar Patel runs it down to third man for a single.
Powerplay is done!
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, ! Fine shot!
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Bangs this into the pitch, on middle and leg, Axar Patel gets a bit cramped up and mistimes his pull towards backward square leg for one.
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Swing and a miss! Nathan Ellis goes fuller and outside off, angling away. Axar Patel throws his bat at it but fails to connect. Indian batters are still playing their shots here.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Bowls it slower, on a length and on middle, Abhishek Sharma taps it in front of extra covers for a run.
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Touch fuller and on off Axar Patel drives it towards mid off for a quick single.
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Back of a length and just around off, Axar Patel tries to cut it away, but this is too close to his body. He ends up chopping it onto the off side.
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, On a good length and around off, dabbed down to deep third for a single by Patel off his back foot to get off the mark.
Axar Patel walks out to bat now.
Josh Hazlewood to Tilak Varma, ! GONE! CAUGHT BEHIND! India lose their fourth and Josh Hazlewood gets his third.
Tilak Varma is the next man in.
Josh Hazlewood to Tilak Varma, No run.
Josh Hazlewood to Suryakumar Yadav, ! c Josh Inglis b Josh Hazlewood.
Josh Hazlewood to Suryakumar Yadav, A chance? Yes, it is a drop!
Josh Hazlewood to Suryakumar Yadav, Nagging length and outside off, Yadav hangs back and cuts it well but finds the backward point fielder. Fails to find the gap there.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, MORE! CRUNCHED! Full and outside off, Abhishek Sharma crouches and slashes it through the extra cover region for another boundary. He moves to 24 in just 9 balls.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Four!
Suryakumar Yadav, the skipper of India, comes out to the middle now with the visitors in some early trouble.
Nathan Ellis to Suryakumar Yadav, Much fuller and outside off, moving away. Suryakumar Yadav throws his hands at it and gets it sliced off the outer half of the bat towards deep backward point. A single taken.
Nathan Ellis to Sanju Samson, ! LBW! Nathan Ellis strikes big in his first over, and the promotion of Sanju Samson hasn't worked for India.
Is that out? Review number two from India, and we are just in the 4th over. This time, it is Sanju Samson who has been given out LBW.
Nathan Ellis to Sanju Samson, BEATEN! In-between length, shaping away, outside off, Samson looks to drive it on the up but his feet don't go anywhere. Gets beaten on the outside edge.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a good length and around middle, Abhishek takes a step forward and looks to defend it but gets an inside edge which goes through between his legs and rolls away towards backward square leg. A single taken. Also, Ellis falls over on his followthrough.
Josh Hazlewood to Sanju Samson, BEATEN! Back of a length and around the fourth stump line, with some extra bounce off the deck. Samson remains deep in his crease and swings for the hills to go for a big lofted shot downtown but misses to connect.
Josh Hazlewood to Sanju Samson, Short of a length and outside off, Sanju Samson shifts his weight on the back foot and slices it over the backward point fielder. The ball doesn't has that steam to go over the ropes and it is hunted down by the backward point fielder. Two runs taken.
Who walks out now?
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, ! c Mitchell Marsh b Josh Hazlewood.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, Bowls it full and around off, does Josh. Sharma flicks it off the inside half of the bat to deep backward square leg for one.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, A swing and a miss! Hard length and around leg, Abhishek uses his feet again and looks to loft it over mid off but misses to connect on this occasion.
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, 1 run.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, ! WOAH! That's some shot! Full and around off, Abhishek Sharma remains leg side of the ball, dances down the track and launches it over the wide long off fence for a biggie to end the over. A big one for India as 17 came off it.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Pitches up, full and around middle, does Xavier. Abhishek Sharma backs away a bit and lofts it over the bowler's head. The mid on fielder chases it down but both batters take two runs.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, ! THRASHED! A full toss, around middle, Abhishek Sharma charges down the track and carves it through the gap between extra cover and cover point for a boundary.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Angling in, on the fuller length and around middle, Abhishek clears his front leg away and goes hard on his swing. Gets it off the inner half of the bat but the ball goes in the gap to the right of deep backward square leg. Two runs are taken.
Xavier Bartlett to Shubman Gill, On a length and outside off, Gill gets on top of the bounce and punches it through the minute gap between cover point and backward point. Three runs are taken before Nathan Ellis hunts it down. There is a short run check from the third umpire and it is fine.
Xavier Bartlett to Shubman Gill, Inward movement, full and around off, Gill prods forward and looks to punch it with a straight bat but gets a leading edge. The ball goes a bit uppishly but lands before the backward point fielder, who dives to his right to make a good stop.
Who bowls now?
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, First runs!
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, Another short-pitched delivery, around off, Gill hops up and adjusts well to get on top of the bounce before dabbing it down to cover point.
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, Back of a length and over the top of the off stump. Shubman rises with the bounce and defends it into the deck.
The physio comes in for a mandatory concussion check now. He is asking the routine questions to Shubman Gill, who took a hard blow on his helmet.
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, NASTY!
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, JAFFA!
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, Oh, what a sigh for Gill. On a length, from over the wicket, angling in, around off. Shubman Gill gets forward but goes across to flick it. The ball keeps coming in and beats the inside edge of the bat and gets rapped on the front pad. There is a massive appeal for LBW and the umpire raises his finger. However, Gill has a chat with Abhishek Sharma before he takes a review. The third umpire is called in. Nothing comes on the UltraEdge. Ball Tracking presen
Is that a wicket first ball? Shubman Gill has been given LBW on-field but has taken a review here.
All in readiness now! It's a packed-out crowd here at the MCG, and they are absolutely buzzing with excitement. We can see the Australian players in a huddle just outside the ropes, where Mitchell Marsh is sharing a few words and laughs with his team. Now, they come through the fireworks and smoke to take up their respective field positions. Here come the two explosive openers for India - Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. Josh Hazlewood has the new ball in his hand and is raring to go. Let'
Weâre just moments away from the start of the game, but before that, players from both sides, the match officials, and the fans all observe a moment of silence to honour Ben Austin - a 17-year-old who tragically lost his life while batting in the nets in Melbourne. This tribute stands as a mark of respect to his family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time.
Suryakumar Yadav, the captain of India, says that losing the toss here does not matter as long as you are getting to do what you want, and they were looking to bowl first only. Adds that out of 40 matches, teams batting first have won 21 times on this ground. Mentions that they want to go hard from the top, and it starts with Abhishek setting the tone, and then he and Gill take over. Says that he is happy to be back in the middle order where he belongs. Tells that Gill knows how to score runs, a
The skipper of Australia, Mitchell Marsh, says that they will bowl first, calling it always special to play at the MCG. Adds that itâs a historic venue and they knew it was going to be packed tonight. He feels that the wicket looks really good for cricket and hopes it stays the same for the full 40 overs. Mentions that their plan is to restrict India to a manageable total and then chase it down confidently. Acknowledges that India is a strong side, and the team is excited for the challenge. In
Australia (Playing XI) - Mitchell Marsh (C), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (WK), Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Short (In place of Josh Philippe), Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann.
TOSS - Well, no surprises as India have lost yet another toss. Australia have elected to BOWL first.
PITCH REPORT - Aaron Finch is pitchside with his thoughts. Finch says that the pitch looks well-balanced between bat and ball, though the overcast and cool conditions could offer some help to the seamers early on. Notes thereâs not much in it for the spinners, but maintaining tight lines and lengths could still be effective. Adds that the surface might get a touch slower as the game progresses, yet overall, it looks like a good wicket for batting and promises a fair contest between both sides.
Back for the chase!
... The Run Chase ...
So, whatâs next? Australia will back themselves to chase this comfortably. The pitch looks fine, and it just demands discipline. India will need early wickets, lots of them, and perhaps a bit of magic from Bumrah or Kuldeep to make this total look defendable. For now, Australia sit pretty with the upper hand, while Indiaâs hopes rest on a fiery start with the ball. Can they fight back from 125? Or will the Aussies make it look easy under lights? Grab your popcorn, as the chase is about t
Josh Hazlewood, who took a three-fer, is up for a quick chat.
Then, unexpectedly, Harshit Rana was sent up the order before Shivam Dube, who played a gritty and gutsy hand. Along with Abhishek, he added a fighting 56-run stand, bringing India back from the brink. Ranaâs 35 had a blend of patience and bravery, while Abhishek reached his fifty in just 23 balls. For a moment, it felt like India were climbing back. But Bartlett spoiled the party, dismissing both Rana and Dube in the same over. Stoinis followed with Kuldeepâs wicket, and once Abhishek f
The carnage didnât stop there. Josh Hazlewood bowled his spell straight through, and what a masterclass it was. Four overs. Three wickets. Just 13 runs conceded. Like clockwork precision. The ball swung a little, seamed a bit, but mostly, Hazlewoodâs control made it unplayable. Ellis joined the act too, trapping Samson and later Abhishek with sharp deliveries. Amid the chaos, Abhishek stood tall, timed crisply, placed perfectly, and showed his intent clearly. While partners kept walking
Suryakumar Yadav called wrong again at the toss, and Australia chose to bowl. Their pacers repaid them instantly. Abhishek gave India a zippy start, striking boundaries, while Gill looked scratchy and fell early after surviving a first-ball LBW scare. Samson and SKY followed in quick succession - both undone by the sheer precision of Aussie pacers. Then came Tilak Varma, and the poor lad barely got a look before getting dismissed too. From 18/0 to 40/4 in the Powerplay, Indiaâs bright b
A storm of wickets and a spark of brilliance. Australia dominate, India stumble to 125! What a first half weâve had in Melbourne. The Aussies, after electing to bowl, turned the MCG into a maze for the Indian batters. The pitch offered a bit, sure, but it was more about relentless accuracy and smart bowling. Only one man - Abhishek Sharma - looked like he was playing on a different strip altogether, smashing a stunning 68 off 37. Apart from him, though, Indiaâs innings resembled a music
Nathan Ellis to Jasprit Bumrah, ! BUMRAH IS RUN OUT!
Jasprit Bumrah is the last man in.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, ! LBW! Nathan Ellis gets the big wicket of Abhishek Sharma!
Is this ? Abhishek Sharma is given LBW out by the umpire and he has reviewed it straightaway. The third umpire is called in and there is nothing on the UltraEdge. Ball Tracking shows three reds with the ball projecting to hit the middle stump.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Good wide yorker, outside off, Abhishek Sharma loses his bottom hand and jams it out towards extra covers.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, A low full toss, outside off, Abhishek Sharma backs away a bit too much. He has to reach out for it and slices it towards deep point but does not take the run.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Low full toss, on off, Abhishek Sharma drills it through cover-point for one and retains the strike. 15 runs off the over!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Back of a length and around middle, Abhishek Sharma pulls it away wide of deep mid-wicket for a couple of more runs.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Slower one, full and on middle, Abhishek Sharma tucks it away with softs hands through mid-wicket and comes back for the second run. Good running!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Six!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, ! Put away!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Slower one, on a length and around off, Abhishek Sharma moves across early to scoop it away but misses as the ball goes off his pads towards the keeper.
Marcus Stoinis to Varun Chakaravarthy, No run.
Varun Chakaravarthy walks in next to bat.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, ! TAKEN! Another one bites the dust! The dot-ball pressure was buidling and Marcus Stoinis gets his first wicket now.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, Three dots in a row now! Hits the length hard and well outside off, takes pace off again, does Stoinis. Kuldeep Yadav steps across but then withdraws his bat, seeing the ball close to the wide guideline. However, the umpire signals nothing, as this is just inside it.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, Nice change of pace! Back of a length and around off, Kuldeep Yadav tries to guide it away but misses due to the lack of pace.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, Good fielding! Fuller and on off, Kuldeep Yadav drives it wide of short covers. Mitchell Marsh dives to his right to stop the single here.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a length and outside off, Abhishek Sharma slaps it towards sweeper covers for a single. Yadav wants the second but is sent back.
Xavier Bartlett to Kuldeep Yadav, No run.
Xavier Bartlett to Kuldeep Yadav, No run.
Kuldeep Yadav is in at 9.
Xavier Bartlett to Shivam Dube, ! EDGED AND GONE! Xavier Bartlett gets his second in the over!
Xavier Bartlett to Shivam Dube, ! Streaky way to get off the mark! Short of a length and just around off, holds its line. Shivam Dube has poke away from his body and gets a thick outside edge towards the third man fence for a boundary.
Shivam Dube walks in next to bat.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, ! TAKEN! Xavier Bartlett strikes! The budding 56-run stand has been finally broken now.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, No run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, A low full toss, down leg, following the batter. Rana backs away and pushes it towards cover for a single.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, ! BELTED! Back of a length and around off, Harshit Rana remains deep in his crease and pulls it powerfully over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, BEATEN! A slower delivery, on a length and outside off, Rana crouches and tries to slog across but misses to connnect as he gets deceived by the lack of pace on it.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, A full toss, outside off, Rana backs away and slices it to the left of deep point for a couple of runs.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Short of a length and around off, Harshit presses back and tries to pull but misses due to extra bounce.
Marcus Stoinis (2-0-14-0)Â replaces Matthew KuhnemannÂ
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, After seeing the batter backing away, Marcus bowls it full and wide outside off, Rana has to leave it as he can't reach out. He looks frustrated with himself.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, On the fuller side, around off, Abhishek taps it down to cover off the front foot.
Nathan Ellis to Harshit Rana, Short of a length and outside off, with pace taken off. Harshit uses his feet and adjusts well his shot to swat it to mid off for a quick single.
Nathan Ellis to Harshit Rana, Fires a yorker, right at the blockhole, around middle, does Ellis. Harshit jams it back to the bowler.
Nathan Ellis to Harshit Rana, Lands it full and on leg, does Nathan. Rana gets forward and nudges it in the gap with soft hands towards deep mid-wicket. Both batters push each other and take two runs before the deep mid-wicket fielder could pick the ball and throw it to the non-striker's end.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a length and around middle and leg, Abhishek clips it to deep backward square leg for one.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, A slower delivery, back of a length and around middle. Abhishek tries to cut but the ball shapes back in and follows the batter with some awkward bounce. Sharma gets cramped and gets hit on his gloves and then the ball hits his chest before rolling down beside the pitch on the leg side.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Abhishek Sharma, Slower through the air, short and around leg, tucked away to deep backward square leg for a single by AS.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Keeps it shorter and around off, does Matthew. Rana punches it through covers for one.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Four!
Matthew Kuhnemann to Abhishek Sharma, FIFTY FOR ABHISHEK SHARMA! Short and outside off, Sharma waits back and cuts it in the gap towards deep backward point for a single to bring his milestone. This is his sixth T20I fifty and this has been a gem of an innings so far. He has holded one end very well and all the hopes of India lies on him.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Follows the batter, short and around leg, Rana backs away and punches it to beat the diving cover fielder to his left for a single.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Abhishek Sharma, A low full toss, around off, drilled down to the left of long off for a single by Abhishek. He moves to 49.
Slight halt!
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Back of a length, angling in, around leg, Rana gets cramped as he looks to flick it but misses. Gets beaten on the inside edge and gets hit above on his back thigh. He looks in pain and goes down on his haunches. The physio is out.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, WIDE! A bumper angling down the leg side. Rana tries to pull but misses. Called a wide.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Four!
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, Much fuller and around leg, Sharma goes deep in his crease and nudges it to deep backward square leg for a single.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Pitches up, full and around off, does Marcus. Rana drives it to the left of mid off for a quick single.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Bye! Short of a length but slides down the leg side. Harshit Rana presses back and looks to pull it but misses. The ball touches his arm and goes to the left of the keeper behind the wickets. Josh Inglis flings himself fully to that side but fails to cling it. Ends up parrying it away towards deep fine. A bye is sneaked.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Much shorter and outside off, Harshit gets across and clips it to wide long on for one.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Spinning away, a bit shorter and around off, Harshit taps it back to the left of the bowler.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, ! SLICED! Shorter in length and outside off, Harshit Rana goes back and goes hard on his shot. Gets it sliced a bit uppishly but in the gap between backward point and short third for a boundary.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Nagging length and around off, Rana hangs back and defends it into the deck.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, No run.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Short and outside off, punched down to cover off the back foot.
DRINKS! It has been a one-man show for India so far, with Abhishek Sharma showing his punches and form as he has racked up 46 runs in just 19 balls with 7 boundaries and one six. He has been rock solid at one end.
Mitchell Owen to Abhishek Sharma, ! Easy pickings! Short and around leg, Abhishek Sharma gets inside the line of it and just helps it on its way towards the deep backward square leg fence for another boundary. He moves to 46 now.13 runs off Owen's first over!
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, 1 run.
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, Back of a length and just outside off, Harshit Rana gets on top of the bounce and cuts it towards deep point for a brace.
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, Full again and on off, Harshit Rana drives it firmly but straight towards extra covers.
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, Wide!
Mitchell Owen to Abhishek Sharma, On a length and on leg, Abhishek Sharma clips it through square leg for a run.
Mitchell Owen to Abhishek Sharma, ! Welcome to the game, Mitchell Owen! Short of a length and outside off, begging to be put away. Abhishek Sharma gets the chance to free his arms and crunches it over point for a boundary. Looks like he is batting on an entirely different pitch here.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, In the air....SAFE!
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, Much fuller and on leg, Abhishek Sharma drills it towards long on for a run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, 1 run.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, Back of a length and on off, Harshit Rana punches it towards cover-point for a single.
Surprisingly, Harshit Rana has been sent up the order to bat at number 7 by the Indian management.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, No run.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, No run.
Xavier Bartlett to Axar Patel, ! AXAR PATEL IS RUN OUT! Absolute chaos in the middle!
Is that a run out? That looks out to the naked eye.Â
Xavier Bartlett to Axar Patel, Hits the length hard and on middle, jags back in a bit, Axar Patel gets a bit late on his shot and stabs it back to the bowler.
Xavier Bartlett to Axar Patel, ! A touch chance though!
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, On a length and around off, Axar Patel stabs it towards extra covers for one. Josh Hazlewood finishes his spell with incredible figures of 4-0-13-3!
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, No run.
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, Hard length and on middle and off, Axar Patel stays back and pats it towards point.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a length and on middle, gets some extra bounce, Abhishek Sharma hops up but fails to ride the bounce. He just dabs it down behind the stumps and to the left of the keeper for a run.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, EDGE AND ! Luck favouring Abhishek Sharma here!
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, Back of a length and around off, Axar Patel runs it down to third man for a single.
Powerplay is done!
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, ! Fine shot!
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Bangs this into the pitch, on middle and leg, Axar Patel gets a bit cramped up and mistimes his pull towards backward square leg for one.
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Swing and a miss! Nathan Ellis goes fuller and outside off, angling away. Axar Patel throws his bat at it but fails to connect. Indian batters are still playing their shots here.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Bowls it slower, on a length and on middle, Abhishek Sharma taps it in front of extra covers for a run.
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Touch fuller and on off Axar Patel drives it towards mid off for a quick single.
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Back of a length and just around off, Axar Patel tries to cut it away, but this is too close to his body. He ends up chopping it onto the off side.
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, On a good length and around off, dabbed down to deep third for a single by Patel off his back foot to get off the mark.
Axar Patel walks out to bat now.
Josh Hazlewood to Tilak Varma, ! GONE! CAUGHT BEHIND! India lose their fourth and Josh Hazlewood gets his third.
Tilak Varma is the next man in.
Josh Hazlewood to Tilak Varma, No run.
Josh Hazlewood to Suryakumar Yadav, ! c Josh Inglis b Josh Hazlewood.
Josh Hazlewood to Suryakumar Yadav, A chance? Yes, it is a drop!
Josh Hazlewood to Suryakumar Yadav, Nagging length and outside off, Yadav hangs back and cuts it well but finds the backward point fielder. Fails to find the gap there.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, MORE! CRUNCHED! Full and outside off, Abhishek Sharma crouches and slashes it through the extra cover region for another boundary. He moves to 24 in just 9 balls.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Four!
Suryakumar Yadav, the skipper of India, comes out to the middle now with the visitors in some early trouble.
Nathan Ellis to Suryakumar Yadav, Much fuller and outside off, moving away. Suryakumar Yadav throws his hands at it and gets it sliced off the outer half of the bat towards deep backward point. A single taken.
Nathan Ellis to Sanju Samson, ! LBW! Nathan Ellis strikes big in his first over, and the promotion of Sanju Samson hasn't worked for India.
Is that out? Review number two from India, and we are just in the 4th over. This time, it is Sanju Samson who has been given out LBW.
Nathan Ellis to Sanju Samson, BEATEN! In-between length, shaping away, outside off, Samson looks to drive it on the up but his feet don't go anywhere. Gets beaten on the outside edge.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a good length and around middle, Abhishek takes a step forward and looks to defend it but gets an inside edge which goes through between his legs and rolls away towards backward square leg. A single taken. Also, Ellis falls over on his followthrough.
Josh Hazlewood to Sanju Samson, BEATEN! Back of a length and around the fourth stump line, with some extra bounce off the deck. Samson remains deep in his crease and swings for the hills to go for a big lofted shot downtown but misses to connect.
Josh Hazlewood to Sanju Samson, Short of a length and outside off, Sanju Samson shifts his weight on the back foot and slices it over the backward point fielder. The ball doesn't has that steam to go over the ropes and it is hunted down by the backward point fielder. Two runs taken.
Who walks out now?
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, ! c Mitchell Marsh b Josh Hazlewood.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, Bowls it full and around off, does Josh. Sharma flicks it off the inside half of the bat to deep backward square leg for one.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, A swing and a miss! Hard length and around leg, Abhishek uses his feet again and looks to loft it over mid off but misses to connect on this occasion.
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, 1 run.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, ! WOAH! That's some shot! Full and around off, Abhishek Sharma remains leg side of the ball, dances down the track and launches it over the wide long off fence for a biggie to end the over. A big one for India as 17 came off it.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Pitches up, full and around middle, does Xavier. Abhishek Sharma backs away a bit and lofts it over the bowler's head. The mid on fielder chases it down but both batters take two runs.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, ! THRASHED! A full toss, around middle, Abhishek Sharma charges down the track and carves it through the gap between extra cover and cover point for a boundary.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Angling in, on the fuller length and around middle, Abhishek clears his front leg away and goes hard on his swing. Gets it off the inner half of the bat but the ball goes in the gap to the right of deep backward square leg. Two runs are taken.
Xavier Bartlett to Shubman Gill, On a length and outside off, Gill gets on top of the bounce and punches it through the minute gap between cover point and backward point. Three runs are taken before Nathan Ellis hunts it down. There is a short run check from the third umpire and it is fine.
Xavier Bartlett to Shubman Gill, Inward movement, full and around off, Gill prods forward and looks to punch it with a straight bat but gets a leading edge. The ball goes a bit uppishly but lands before the backward point fielder, who dives to his right to make a good stop.
Who bowls now?
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, First runs!
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, Another short-pitched delivery, around off, Gill hops up and adjusts well to get on top of the bounce before dabbing it down to cover point.
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, Back of a length and over the top of the off stump. Shubman rises with the bounce and defends it into the deck.
The physio comes in for a mandatory concussion check now. He is asking the routine questions to Shubman Gill, who took a hard blow on his helmet.
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, NASTY!
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, JAFFA!
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, Oh, what a sigh for Gill. On a length, from over the wicket, angling in, around off. Shubman Gill gets forward but goes across to flick it. The ball keeps coming in and beats the inside edge of the bat and gets rapped on the front pad. There is a massive appeal for LBW and the umpire raises his finger. However, Gill has a chat with Abhishek Sharma before he takes a review. The third umpire is called in. Nothing comes on the UltraEdge. Ball Tracking presen
Is that a wicket first ball? Shubman Gill has been given LBW on-field but has taken a review here.
All in readiness now! It's a packed-out crowd here at the MCG, and they are absolutely buzzing with excitement. We can see the Australian players in a huddle just outside the ropes, where Mitchell Marsh is sharing a few words and laughs with his team. Now, they come through the fireworks and smoke to take up their respective field positions. Here come the two explosive openers for India - Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. Josh Hazlewood has the new ball in his hand and is raring to go. Let'
Weâre just moments away from the start of the game, but before that, players from both sides, the match officials, and the fans all observe a moment of silence to honour Ben Austin - a 17-year-old who tragically lost his life while batting in the nets in Melbourne. This tribute stands as a mark of respect to his family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time.
Suryakumar Yadav, the captain of India, says that losing the toss here does not matter as long as you are getting to do what you want, and they were looking to bowl first only. Adds that out of 40 matches, teams batting first have won 21 times on this ground. Mentions that they want to go hard from the top, and it starts with Abhishek setting the tone, and then he and Gill take over. Says that he is happy to be back in the middle order where he belongs. Tells that Gill knows how to score runs, a
The skipper of Australia, Mitchell Marsh, says that they will bowl first, calling it always special to play at the MCG. Adds that itâs a historic venue and they knew it was going to be packed tonight. He feels that the wicket looks really good for cricket and hopes it stays the same for the full 40 overs. Mentions that their plan is to restrict India to a manageable total and then chase it down confidently. Acknowledges that India is a strong side, and the team is excited for the challenge. In
Australia (Playing XI) - Mitchell Marsh (C), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (WK), Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Short (In place of Josh Philippe), Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann.
TOSS - Well, no surprises as India have lost yet another toss. Australia have elected to BOWL first.
PITCH REPORT - Aaron Finch is pitchside with his thoughts. Finch says that the pitch looks well-balanced between bat and ball, though the overcast and cool conditions could offer some help to the seamers early on. Notes thereâs not much in it for the spinners, but maintaining tight lines and lengths could still be effective. Adds that the surface might get a touch slower as the game progresses, yet overall, it looks like a good wicket for batting and promises a fair contest between both sides.
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Australia
126/6(13.2 Overs)
Back for the chase!
... The Run Chase ...
So, whatâs next? Australia will back themselves to chase this comfortably. The pitch looks fine, and it just demands discipline. India will need early wickets, lots of them, and perhaps a bit of magic from Bumrah or Kuldeep to make this total look defendable. For now, Australia sit pretty with the upper hand, while Indiaâs hopes rest on a fiery start with the ball. Can they fight back from 125? Or will the Aussies make it look easy under lights? Grab your popcorn, as the chase is about t
Josh Hazlewood, who took a three-fer, is up for a quick chat.
Then, unexpectedly, Harshit Rana was sent up the order before Shivam Dube, who played a gritty and gutsy hand. Along with Abhishek, he added a fighting 56-run stand, bringing India back from the brink. Ranaâs 35 had a blend of patience and bravery, while Abhishek reached his fifty in just 23 balls. For a moment, it felt like India were climbing back. But Bartlett spoiled the party, dismissing both Rana and Dube in the same over. Stoinis followed with Kuldeepâs wicket, and once Abhishek f
The carnage didnât stop there. Josh Hazlewood bowled his spell straight through, and what a masterclass it was. Four overs. Three wickets. Just 13 runs conceded. Like clockwork precision. The ball swung a little, seamed a bit, but mostly, Hazlewoodâs control made it unplayable. Ellis joined the act too, trapping Samson and later Abhishek with sharp deliveries. Amid the chaos, Abhishek stood tall, timed crisply, placed perfectly, and showed his intent clearly. While partners kept walking
Suryakumar Yadav called wrong again at the toss, and Australia chose to bowl. Their pacers repaid them instantly. Abhishek gave India a zippy start, striking boundaries, while Gill looked scratchy and fell early after surviving a first-ball LBW scare. Samson and SKY followed in quick succession - both undone by the sheer precision of Aussie pacers. Then came Tilak Varma, and the poor lad barely got a look before getting dismissed too. From 18/0 to 40/4 in the Powerplay, Indiaâs bright b
A storm of wickets and a spark of brilliance. Australia dominate, India stumble to 125! What a first half weâve had in Melbourne. The Aussies, after electing to bowl, turned the MCG into a maze for the Indian batters. The pitch offered a bit, sure, but it was more about relentless accuracy and smart bowling. Only one man - Abhishek Sharma - looked like he was playing on a different strip altogether, smashing a stunning 68 off 37. Apart from him, though, Indiaâs innings resembled a music
Nathan Ellis to Jasprit Bumrah, ! BUMRAH IS RUN OUT!
Jasprit Bumrah is the last man in.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, ! LBW! Nathan Ellis gets the big wicket of Abhishek Sharma!
Is this ? Abhishek Sharma is given LBW out by the umpire and he has reviewed it straightaway. The third umpire is called in and there is nothing on the UltraEdge. Ball Tracking shows three reds with the ball projecting to hit the middle stump.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Good wide yorker, outside off, Abhishek Sharma loses his bottom hand and jams it out towards extra covers.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, A low full toss, outside off, Abhishek Sharma backs away a bit too much. He has to reach out for it and slices it towards deep point but does not take the run.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Low full toss, on off, Abhishek Sharma drills it through cover-point for one and retains the strike. 15 runs off the over!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Back of a length and around middle, Abhishek Sharma pulls it away wide of deep mid-wicket for a couple of more runs.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Slower one, full and on middle, Abhishek Sharma tucks it away with softs hands through mid-wicket and comes back for the second run. Good running!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Six!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, ! Put away!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Slower one, on a length and around off, Abhishek Sharma moves across early to scoop it away but misses as the ball goes off his pads towards the keeper.
Marcus Stoinis to Varun Chakaravarthy, No run.
Varun Chakaravarthy walks in next to bat.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, ! TAKEN! Another one bites the dust! The dot-ball pressure was buidling and Marcus Stoinis gets his first wicket now.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, Three dots in a row now! Hits the length hard and well outside off, takes pace off again, does Stoinis. Kuldeep Yadav steps across but then withdraws his bat, seeing the ball close to the wide guideline. However, the umpire signals nothing, as this is just inside it.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, Nice change of pace! Back of a length and around off, Kuldeep Yadav tries to guide it away but misses due to the lack of pace.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, Good fielding! Fuller and on off, Kuldeep Yadav drives it wide of short covers. Mitchell Marsh dives to his right to stop the single here.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a length and outside off, Abhishek Sharma slaps it towards sweeper covers for a single. Yadav wants the second but is sent back.
Xavier Bartlett to Kuldeep Yadav, No run.
Xavier Bartlett to Kuldeep Yadav, No run.
Kuldeep Yadav is in at 9.
Xavier Bartlett to Shivam Dube, ! EDGED AND GONE! Xavier Bartlett gets his second in the over!
Xavier Bartlett to Shivam Dube, ! Streaky way to get off the mark! Short of a length and just around off, holds its line. Shivam Dube has poke away from his body and gets a thick outside edge towards the third man fence for a boundary.
Shivam Dube walks in next to bat.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, ! TAKEN! Xavier Bartlett strikes! The budding 56-run stand has been finally broken now.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, No run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, A low full toss, down leg, following the batter. Rana backs away and pushes it towards cover for a single.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, ! BELTED! Back of a length and around off, Harshit Rana remains deep in his crease and pulls it powerfully over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, BEATEN! A slower delivery, on a length and outside off, Rana crouches and tries to slog across but misses to connnect as he gets deceived by the lack of pace on it.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, A full toss, outside off, Rana backs away and slices it to the left of deep point for a couple of runs.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Short of a length and around off, Harshit presses back and tries to pull but misses due to extra bounce.
Marcus Stoinis (2-0-14-0)Â replaces Matthew KuhnemannÂ
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, After seeing the batter backing away, Marcus bowls it full and wide outside off, Rana has to leave it as he can't reach out. He looks frustrated with himself.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, On the fuller side, around off, Abhishek taps it down to cover off the front foot.
Nathan Ellis to Harshit Rana, Short of a length and outside off, with pace taken off. Harshit uses his feet and adjusts well his shot to swat it to mid off for a quick single.
Nathan Ellis to Harshit Rana, Fires a yorker, right at the blockhole, around middle, does Ellis. Harshit jams it back to the bowler.
Nathan Ellis to Harshit Rana, Lands it full and on leg, does Nathan. Rana gets forward and nudges it in the gap with soft hands towards deep mid-wicket. Both batters push each other and take two runs before the deep mid-wicket fielder could pick the ball and throw it to the non-striker's end.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a length and around middle and leg, Abhishek clips it to deep backward square leg for one.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, A slower delivery, back of a length and around middle. Abhishek tries to cut but the ball shapes back in and follows the batter with some awkward bounce. Sharma gets cramped and gets hit on his gloves and then the ball hits his chest before rolling down beside the pitch on the leg side.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Abhishek Sharma, Slower through the air, short and around leg, tucked away to deep backward square leg for a single by AS.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Keeps it shorter and around off, does Matthew. Rana punches it through covers for one.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Four!
Matthew Kuhnemann to Abhishek Sharma, FIFTY FOR ABHISHEK SHARMA! Short and outside off, Sharma waits back and cuts it in the gap towards deep backward point for a single to bring his milestone. This is his sixth T20I fifty and this has been a gem of an innings so far. He has holded one end very well and all the hopes of India lies on him.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Follows the batter, short and around leg, Rana backs away and punches it to beat the diving cover fielder to his left for a single.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Abhishek Sharma, A low full toss, around off, drilled down to the left of long off for a single by Abhishek. He moves to 49.
Slight halt!
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Back of a length, angling in, around leg, Rana gets cramped as he looks to flick it but misses. Gets beaten on the inside edge and gets hit above on his back thigh. He looks in pain and goes down on his haunches. The physio is out.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, WIDE! A bumper angling down the leg side. Rana tries to pull but misses. Called a wide.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Four!
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, Much fuller and around leg, Sharma goes deep in his crease and nudges it to deep backward square leg for a single.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Pitches up, full and around off, does Marcus. Rana drives it to the left of mid off for a quick single.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Bye! Short of a length but slides down the leg side. Harshit Rana presses back and looks to pull it but misses. The ball touches his arm and goes to the left of the keeper behind the wickets. Josh Inglis flings himself fully to that side but fails to cling it. Ends up parrying it away towards deep fine. A bye is sneaked.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Much shorter and outside off, Harshit gets across and clips it to wide long on for one.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Spinning away, a bit shorter and around off, Harshit taps it back to the left of the bowler.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, ! SLICED! Shorter in length and outside off, Harshit Rana goes back and goes hard on his shot. Gets it sliced a bit uppishly but in the gap between backward point and short third for a boundary.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Nagging length and around off, Rana hangs back and defends it into the deck.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, No run.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Short and outside off, punched down to cover off the back foot.
DRINKS! It has been a one-man show for India so far, with Abhishek Sharma showing his punches and form as he has racked up 46 runs in just 19 balls with 7 boundaries and one six. He has been rock solid at one end.
Mitchell Owen to Abhishek Sharma, ! Easy pickings! Short and around leg, Abhishek Sharma gets inside the line of it and just helps it on its way towards the deep backward square leg fence for another boundary. He moves to 46 now.13 runs off Owen's first over!
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, 1 run.
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, Back of a length and just outside off, Harshit Rana gets on top of the bounce and cuts it towards deep point for a brace.
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, Full again and on off, Harshit Rana drives it firmly but straight towards extra covers.
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, Wide!
Mitchell Owen to Abhishek Sharma, On a length and on leg, Abhishek Sharma clips it through square leg for a run.
Mitchell Owen to Abhishek Sharma, ! Welcome to the game, Mitchell Owen! Short of a length and outside off, begging to be put away. Abhishek Sharma gets the chance to free his arms and crunches it over point for a boundary. Looks like he is batting on an entirely different pitch here.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, In the air....SAFE!
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, Much fuller and on leg, Abhishek Sharma drills it towards long on for a run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, 1 run.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, Back of a length and on off, Harshit Rana punches it towards cover-point for a single.
Surprisingly, Harshit Rana has been sent up the order to bat at number 7 by the Indian management.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, No run.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, No run.
Xavier Bartlett to Axar Patel, ! AXAR PATEL IS RUN OUT! Absolute chaos in the middle!
Is that a run out? That looks out to the naked eye.Â
Xavier Bartlett to Axar Patel, Hits the length hard and on middle, jags back in a bit, Axar Patel gets a bit late on his shot and stabs it back to the bowler.
Xavier Bartlett to Axar Patel, ! A touch chance though!
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, On a length and around off, Axar Patel stabs it towards extra covers for one. Josh Hazlewood finishes his spell with incredible figures of 4-0-13-3!
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, No run.
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, Hard length and on middle and off, Axar Patel stays back and pats it towards point.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a length and on middle, gets some extra bounce, Abhishek Sharma hops up but fails to ride the bounce. He just dabs it down behind the stumps and to the left of the keeper for a run.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, EDGE AND ! Luck favouring Abhishek Sharma here!
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, Back of a length and around off, Axar Patel runs it down to third man for a single.
Powerplay is done!
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, ! Fine shot!
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Bangs this into the pitch, on middle and leg, Axar Patel gets a bit cramped up and mistimes his pull towards backward square leg for one.
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Swing and a miss! Nathan Ellis goes fuller and outside off, angling away. Axar Patel throws his bat at it but fails to connect. Indian batters are still playing their shots here.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Bowls it slower, on a length and on middle, Abhishek Sharma taps it in front of extra covers for a run.
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Touch fuller and on off Axar Patel drives it towards mid off for a quick single.
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Back of a length and just around off, Axar Patel tries to cut it away, but this is too close to his body. He ends up chopping it onto the off side.
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, On a good length and around off, dabbed down to deep third for a single by Patel off his back foot to get off the mark.
Axar Patel walks out to bat now.
Josh Hazlewood to Tilak Varma, ! GONE! CAUGHT BEHIND! India lose their fourth and Josh Hazlewood gets his third.
Tilak Varma is the next man in.
Josh Hazlewood to Tilak Varma, No run.
Josh Hazlewood to Suryakumar Yadav, ! c Josh Inglis b Josh Hazlewood.
Josh Hazlewood to Suryakumar Yadav, A chance? Yes, it is a drop!
Josh Hazlewood to Suryakumar Yadav, Nagging length and outside off, Yadav hangs back and cuts it well but finds the backward point fielder. Fails to find the gap there.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, MORE! CRUNCHED! Full and outside off, Abhishek Sharma crouches and slashes it through the extra cover region for another boundary. He moves to 24 in just 9 balls.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Four!
Suryakumar Yadav, the skipper of India, comes out to the middle now with the visitors in some early trouble.
Nathan Ellis to Suryakumar Yadav, Much fuller and outside off, moving away. Suryakumar Yadav throws his hands at it and gets it sliced off the outer half of the bat towards deep backward point. A single taken.
Nathan Ellis to Sanju Samson, ! LBW! Nathan Ellis strikes big in his first over, and the promotion of Sanju Samson hasn't worked for India.
Is that out? Review number two from India, and we are just in the 4th over. This time, it is Sanju Samson who has been given out LBW.
Nathan Ellis to Sanju Samson, BEATEN! In-between length, shaping away, outside off, Samson looks to drive it on the up but his feet don't go anywhere. Gets beaten on the outside edge.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a good length and around middle, Abhishek takes a step forward and looks to defend it but gets an inside edge which goes through between his legs and rolls away towards backward square leg. A single taken. Also, Ellis falls over on his followthrough.
Josh Hazlewood to Sanju Samson, BEATEN! Back of a length and around the fourth stump line, with some extra bounce off the deck. Samson remains deep in his crease and swings for the hills to go for a big lofted shot downtown but misses to connect.
Josh Hazlewood to Sanju Samson, Short of a length and outside off, Sanju Samson shifts his weight on the back foot and slices it over the backward point fielder. The ball doesn't has that steam to go over the ropes and it is hunted down by the backward point fielder. Two runs taken.
Who walks out now?
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, ! c Mitchell Marsh b Josh Hazlewood.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, Bowls it full and around off, does Josh. Sharma flicks it off the inside half of the bat to deep backward square leg for one.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, A swing and a miss! Hard length and around leg, Abhishek uses his feet again and looks to loft it over mid off but misses to connect on this occasion.
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, 1 run.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, ! WOAH! That's some shot! Full and around off, Abhishek Sharma remains leg side of the ball, dances down the track and launches it over the wide long off fence for a biggie to end the over. A big one for India as 17 came off it.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Pitches up, full and around middle, does Xavier. Abhishek Sharma backs away a bit and lofts it over the bowler's head. The mid on fielder chases it down but both batters take two runs.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, ! THRASHED! A full toss, around middle, Abhishek Sharma charges down the track and carves it through the gap between extra cover and cover point for a boundary.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Angling in, on the fuller length and around middle, Abhishek clears his front leg away and goes hard on his swing. Gets it off the inner half of the bat but the ball goes in the gap to the right of deep backward square leg. Two runs are taken.
Xavier Bartlett to Shubman Gill, On a length and outside off, Gill gets on top of the bounce and punches it through the minute gap between cover point and backward point. Three runs are taken before Nathan Ellis hunts it down. There is a short run check from the third umpire and it is fine.
Xavier Bartlett to Shubman Gill, Inward movement, full and around off, Gill prods forward and looks to punch it with a straight bat but gets a leading edge. The ball goes a bit uppishly but lands before the backward point fielder, who dives to his right to make a good stop.
Who bowls now?
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, First runs!
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, Another short-pitched delivery, around off, Gill hops up and adjusts well to get on top of the bounce before dabbing it down to cover point.
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, Back of a length and over the top of the off stump. Shubman rises with the bounce and defends it into the deck.
The physio comes in for a mandatory concussion check now. He is asking the routine questions to Shubman Gill, who took a hard blow on his helmet.
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, NASTY!
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, JAFFA!
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, Oh, what a sigh for Gill. On a length, from over the wicket, angling in, around off. Shubman Gill gets forward but goes across to flick it. The ball keeps coming in and beats the inside edge of the bat and gets rapped on the front pad. There is a massive appeal for LBW and the umpire raises his finger. However, Gill has a chat with Abhishek Sharma before he takes a review. The third umpire is called in. Nothing comes on the UltraEdge. Ball Tracking presen
Is that a wicket first ball? Shubman Gill has been given LBW on-field but has taken a review here.
All in readiness now! It's a packed-out crowd here at the MCG, and they are absolutely buzzing with excitement. We can see the Australian players in a huddle just outside the ropes, where Mitchell Marsh is sharing a few words and laughs with his team. Now, they come through the fireworks and smoke to take up their respective field positions. Here come the two explosive openers for India - Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. Josh Hazlewood has the new ball in his hand and is raring to go. Let'
Weâre just moments away from the start of the game, but before that, players from both sides, the match officials, and the fans all observe a moment of silence to honour Ben Austin - a 17-year-old who tragically lost his life while batting in the nets in Melbourne. This tribute stands as a mark of respect to his family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time.
Suryakumar Yadav, the captain of India, says that losing the toss here does not matter as long as you are getting to do what you want, and they were looking to bowl first only. Adds that out of 40 matches, teams batting first have won 21 times on this ground. Mentions that they want to go hard from the top, and it starts with Abhishek setting the tone, and then he and Gill take over. Says that he is happy to be back in the middle order where he belongs. Tells that Gill knows how to score runs, a
The skipper of Australia, Mitchell Marsh, says that they will bowl first, calling it always special to play at the MCG. Adds that itâs a historic venue and they knew it was going to be packed tonight. He feels that the wicket looks really good for cricket and hopes it stays the same for the full 40 overs. Mentions that their plan is to restrict India to a manageable total and then chase it down confidently. Acknowledges that India is a strong side, and the team is excited for the challenge. In
Australia (Playing XI) - Mitchell Marsh (C), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (WK), Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Short (In place of Josh Philippe), Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann.
India (Unchanged Playing XI) - Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
TOSS - Well, no surprises as India have lost yet another toss. Australia have elected to BOWL first.
PITCH REPORT - Aaron Finch is pitchside with his thoughts. Finch says that the pitch looks well-balanced between bat and ball, though the overcast and cool conditions could offer some help to the seamers early on. Notes thereâs not much in it for the spinners, but maintaining tight lines and lengths could still be effective. Adds that the surface might get a touch slower as the game progresses, yet overall, it looks like a good wicket for batting and promises a fair contest between both sides.
Back for the chase!
... The Run Chase ...
So, whatâs next? Australia will back themselves to chase this comfortably. The pitch looks fine, and it just demands discipline. India will need early wickets, lots of them, and perhaps a bit of magic from Bumrah or Kuldeep to make this total look defendable. For now, Australia sit pretty with the upper hand, while Indiaâs hopes rest on a fiery start with the ball. Can they fight back from 125? Or will the Aussies make it look easy under lights? Grab your popcorn, as the chase is about t
Josh Hazlewood, who took a three-fer, is up for a quick chat.
Then, unexpectedly, Harshit Rana was sent up the order before Shivam Dube, who played a gritty and gutsy hand. Along with Abhishek, he added a fighting 56-run stand, bringing India back from the brink. Ranaâs 35 had a blend of patience and bravery, while Abhishek reached his fifty in just 23 balls. For a moment, it felt like India were climbing back. But Bartlett spoiled the party, dismissing both Rana and Dube in the same over. Stoinis followed with Kuldeepâs wicket, and once Abhishek f
The carnage didnât stop there. Josh Hazlewood bowled his spell straight through, and what a masterclass it was. Four overs. Three wickets. Just 13 runs conceded. Like clockwork precision. The ball swung a little, seamed a bit, but mostly, Hazlewoodâs control made it unplayable. Ellis joined the act too, trapping Samson and later Abhishek with sharp deliveries. Amid the chaos, Abhishek stood tall, timed crisply, placed perfectly, and showed his intent clearly. While partners kept walking
Suryakumar Yadav called wrong again at the toss, and Australia chose to bowl. Their pacers repaid them instantly. Abhishek gave India a zippy start, striking boundaries, while Gill looked scratchy and fell early after surviving a first-ball LBW scare. Samson and SKY followed in quick succession - both undone by the sheer precision of Aussie pacers. Then came Tilak Varma, and the poor lad barely got a look before getting dismissed too. From 18/0 to 40/4 in the Powerplay, Indiaâs bright b
A storm of wickets and a spark of brilliance. Australia dominate, India stumble to 125! What a first half weâve had in Melbourne. The Aussies, after electing to bowl, turned the MCG into a maze for the Indian batters. The pitch offered a bit, sure, but it was more about relentless accuracy and smart bowling. Only one man - Abhishek Sharma - looked like he was playing on a different strip altogether, smashing a stunning 68 off 37. Apart from him, though, Indiaâs innings resembled a music
Nathan Ellis to Jasprit Bumrah, ! BUMRAH IS RUN OUT!
Jasprit Bumrah is the last man in.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, ! LBW! Nathan Ellis gets the big wicket of Abhishek Sharma!
Is this ? Abhishek Sharma is given LBW out by the umpire and he has reviewed it straightaway. The third umpire is called in and there is nothing on the UltraEdge. Ball Tracking shows three reds with the ball projecting to hit the middle stump.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Good wide yorker, outside off, Abhishek Sharma loses his bottom hand and jams it out towards extra covers.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, A low full toss, outside off, Abhishek Sharma backs away a bit too much. He has to reach out for it and slices it towards deep point but does not take the run.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Low full toss, on off, Abhishek Sharma drills it through cover-point for one and retains the strike. 15 runs off the over!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Back of a length and around middle, Abhishek Sharma pulls it away wide of deep mid-wicket for a couple of more runs.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Slower one, full and on middle, Abhishek Sharma tucks it away with softs hands through mid-wicket and comes back for the second run. Good running!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Six!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, ! Put away!
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Slower one, on a length and around off, Abhishek Sharma moves across early to scoop it away but misses as the ball goes off his pads towards the keeper.
Marcus Stoinis to Varun Chakaravarthy, No run.
Varun Chakaravarthy walks in next to bat.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, ! TAKEN! Another one bites the dust! The dot-ball pressure was buidling and Marcus Stoinis gets his first wicket now.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, Three dots in a row now! Hits the length hard and well outside off, takes pace off again, does Stoinis. Kuldeep Yadav steps across but then withdraws his bat, seeing the ball close to the wide guideline. However, the umpire signals nothing, as this is just inside it.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, Nice change of pace! Back of a length and around off, Kuldeep Yadav tries to guide it away but misses due to the lack of pace.
Marcus Stoinis to Kuldeep Yadav, Good fielding! Fuller and on off, Kuldeep Yadav drives it wide of short covers. Mitchell Marsh dives to his right to stop the single here.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a length and outside off, Abhishek Sharma slaps it towards sweeper covers for a single. Yadav wants the second but is sent back.
Xavier Bartlett to Kuldeep Yadav, No run.
Xavier Bartlett to Kuldeep Yadav, No run.
Kuldeep Yadav is in at 9.
Xavier Bartlett to Shivam Dube, ! EDGED AND GONE! Xavier Bartlett gets his second in the over!
Xavier Bartlett to Shivam Dube, ! Streaky way to get off the mark! Short of a length and just around off, holds its line. Shivam Dube has poke away from his body and gets a thick outside edge towards the third man fence for a boundary.
Shivam Dube walks in next to bat.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, ! TAKEN! Xavier Bartlett strikes! The budding 56-run stand has been finally broken now.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, No run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, A low full toss, down leg, following the batter. Rana backs away and pushes it towards cover for a single.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, ! BELTED! Back of a length and around off, Harshit Rana remains deep in his crease and pulls it powerfully over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, BEATEN! A slower delivery, on a length and outside off, Rana crouches and tries to slog across but misses to connnect as he gets deceived by the lack of pace on it.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, A full toss, outside off, Rana backs away and slices it to the left of deep point for a couple of runs.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Short of a length and around off, Harshit presses back and tries to pull but misses due to extra bounce.
Marcus Stoinis (2-0-14-0)Â replaces Matthew KuhnemannÂ
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, After seeing the batter backing away, Marcus bowls it full and wide outside off, Rana has to leave it as he can't reach out. He looks frustrated with himself.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, On the fuller side, around off, Abhishek taps it down to cover off the front foot.
Nathan Ellis to Harshit Rana, Short of a length and outside off, with pace taken off. Harshit uses his feet and adjusts well his shot to swat it to mid off for a quick single.
Nathan Ellis to Harshit Rana, Fires a yorker, right at the blockhole, around middle, does Ellis. Harshit jams it back to the bowler.
Nathan Ellis to Harshit Rana, Lands it full and on leg, does Nathan. Rana gets forward and nudges it in the gap with soft hands towards deep mid-wicket. Both batters push each other and take two runs before the deep mid-wicket fielder could pick the ball and throw it to the non-striker's end.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a length and around middle and leg, Abhishek clips it to deep backward square leg for one.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, A slower delivery, back of a length and around middle. Abhishek tries to cut but the ball shapes back in and follows the batter with some awkward bounce. Sharma gets cramped and gets hit on his gloves and then the ball hits his chest before rolling down beside the pitch on the leg side.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Abhishek Sharma, Slower through the air, short and around leg, tucked away to deep backward square leg for a single by AS.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Keeps it shorter and around off, does Matthew. Rana punches it through covers for one.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Four!
Matthew Kuhnemann to Abhishek Sharma, FIFTY FOR ABHISHEK SHARMA! Short and outside off, Sharma waits back and cuts it in the gap towards deep backward point for a single to bring his milestone. This is his sixth T20I fifty and this has been a gem of an innings so far. He has holded one end very well and all the hopes of India lies on him.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Follows the batter, short and around leg, Rana backs away and punches it to beat the diving cover fielder to his left for a single.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Abhishek Sharma, A low full toss, around off, drilled down to the left of long off for a single by Abhishek. He moves to 49.
Slight halt!
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Back of a length, angling in, around leg, Rana gets cramped as he looks to flick it but misses. Gets beaten on the inside edge and gets hit above on his back thigh. He looks in pain and goes down on his haunches. The physio is out.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, WIDE! A bumper angling down the leg side. Rana tries to pull but misses. Called a wide.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Four!
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, Much fuller and around leg, Sharma goes deep in his crease and nudges it to deep backward square leg for a single.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Pitches up, full and around off, does Marcus. Rana drives it to the left of mid off for a quick single.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, Bye! Short of a length but slides down the leg side. Harshit Rana presses back and looks to pull it but misses. The ball touches his arm and goes to the left of the keeper behind the wickets. Josh Inglis flings himself fully to that side but fails to cling it. Ends up parrying it away towards deep fine. A bye is sneaked.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Much shorter and outside off, Harshit gets across and clips it to wide long on for one.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Spinning away, a bit shorter and around off, Harshit taps it back to the left of the bowler.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, ! SLICED! Shorter in length and outside off, Harshit Rana goes back and goes hard on his shot. Gets it sliced a bit uppishly but in the gap between backward point and short third for a boundary.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Nagging length and around off, Rana hangs back and defends it into the deck.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, No run.
Matthew Kuhnemann to Harshit Rana, Short and outside off, punched down to cover off the back foot.
DRINKS! It has been a one-man show for India so far, with Abhishek Sharma showing his punches and form as he has racked up 46 runs in just 19 balls with 7 boundaries and one six. He has been rock solid at one end.
Mitchell Owen to Abhishek Sharma, ! Easy pickings! Short and around leg, Abhishek Sharma gets inside the line of it and just helps it on its way towards the deep backward square leg fence for another boundary. He moves to 46 now.13 runs off Owen's first over!
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, 1 run.
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, Back of a length and just outside off, Harshit Rana gets on top of the bounce and cuts it towards deep point for a brace.
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, Full again and on off, Harshit Rana drives it firmly but straight towards extra covers.
Mitchell Owen to Harshit Rana, Wide!
Mitchell Owen to Abhishek Sharma, On a length and on leg, Abhishek Sharma clips it through square leg for a run.
Mitchell Owen to Abhishek Sharma, ! Welcome to the game, Mitchell Owen! Short of a length and outside off, begging to be put away. Abhishek Sharma gets the chance to free his arms and crunches it over point for a boundary. Looks like he is batting on an entirely different pitch here.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, In the air....SAFE!
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, 1 run.
Marcus Stoinis to Abhishek Sharma, Much fuller and on leg, Abhishek Sharma drills it towards long on for a run.
Marcus Stoinis to Harshit Rana, 1 run.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, Back of a length and on off, Harshit Rana punches it towards cover-point for a single.
Surprisingly, Harshit Rana has been sent up the order to bat at number 7 by the Indian management.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, No run.
Xavier Bartlett to Harshit Rana, No run.
Xavier Bartlett to Axar Patel, ! AXAR PATEL IS RUN OUT! Absolute chaos in the middle!
Is that a run out? That looks out to the naked eye.Â
Xavier Bartlett to Axar Patel, Hits the length hard and on middle, jags back in a bit, Axar Patel gets a bit late on his shot and stabs it back to the bowler.
Xavier Bartlett to Axar Patel, ! A touch chance though!
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, On a length and around off, Axar Patel stabs it towards extra covers for one. Josh Hazlewood finishes his spell with incredible figures of 4-0-13-3!
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, No run.
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, Hard length and on middle and off, Axar Patel stays back and pats it towards point.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a length and on middle, gets some extra bounce, Abhishek Sharma hops up but fails to ride the bounce. He just dabs it down behind the stumps and to the left of the keeper for a run.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, EDGE AND ! Luck favouring Abhishek Sharma here!
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, Back of a length and around off, Axar Patel runs it down to third man for a single.
Powerplay is done!
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, ! Fine shot!
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Bangs this into the pitch, on middle and leg, Axar Patel gets a bit cramped up and mistimes his pull towards backward square leg for one.
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Swing and a miss! Nathan Ellis goes fuller and outside off, angling away. Axar Patel throws his bat at it but fails to connect. Indian batters are still playing their shots here.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Bowls it slower, on a length and on middle, Abhishek Sharma taps it in front of extra covers for a run.
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Touch fuller and on off Axar Patel drives it towards mid off for a quick single.
Nathan Ellis to Axar Patel, Back of a length and just around off, Axar Patel tries to cut it away, but this is too close to his body. He ends up chopping it onto the off side.
Josh Hazlewood to Axar Patel, On a good length and around off, dabbed down to deep third for a single by Patel off his back foot to get off the mark.
Axar Patel walks out to bat now.
Josh Hazlewood to Tilak Varma, ! GONE! CAUGHT BEHIND! India lose their fourth and Josh Hazlewood gets his third.
Tilak Varma is the next man in.
Josh Hazlewood to Tilak Varma, No run.
Josh Hazlewood to Suryakumar Yadav, ! c Josh Inglis b Josh Hazlewood.
Josh Hazlewood to Suryakumar Yadav, A chance? Yes, it is a drop!
Josh Hazlewood to Suryakumar Yadav, Nagging length and outside off, Yadav hangs back and cuts it well but finds the backward point fielder. Fails to find the gap there.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, MORE! CRUNCHED! Full and outside off, Abhishek Sharma crouches and slashes it through the extra cover region for another boundary. He moves to 24 in just 9 balls.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Four!
Suryakumar Yadav, the skipper of India, comes out to the middle now with the visitors in some early trouble.
Nathan Ellis to Suryakumar Yadav, Much fuller and outside off, moving away. Suryakumar Yadav throws his hands at it and gets it sliced off the outer half of the bat towards deep backward point. A single taken.
Nathan Ellis to Sanju Samson, ! LBW! Nathan Ellis strikes big in his first over, and the promotion of Sanju Samson hasn't worked for India.
Is that out? Review number two from India, and we are just in the 4th over. This time, it is Sanju Samson who has been given out LBW.
Nathan Ellis to Sanju Samson, BEATEN! In-between length, shaping away, outside off, Samson looks to drive it on the up but his feet don't go anywhere. Gets beaten on the outside edge.
Nathan Ellis to Abhishek Sharma, Short of a good length and around middle, Abhishek takes a step forward and looks to defend it but gets an inside edge which goes through between his legs and rolls away towards backward square leg. A single taken. Also, Ellis falls over on his followthrough.
Josh Hazlewood to Sanju Samson, BEATEN! Back of a length and around the fourth stump line, with some extra bounce off the deck. Samson remains deep in his crease and swings for the hills to go for a big lofted shot downtown but misses to connect.
Josh Hazlewood to Sanju Samson, Short of a length and outside off, Sanju Samson shifts his weight on the back foot and slices it over the backward point fielder. The ball doesn't has that steam to go over the ropes and it is hunted down by the backward point fielder. Two runs taken.
Who walks out now?
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, ! c Mitchell Marsh b Josh Hazlewood.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, Bowls it full and around off, does Josh. Sharma flicks it off the inside half of the bat to deep backward square leg for one.
Josh Hazlewood to Abhishek Sharma, A swing and a miss! Hard length and around leg, Abhishek uses his feet again and looks to loft it over mid off but misses to connect on this occasion.
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, 1 run.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, ! WOAH! That's some shot! Full and around off, Abhishek Sharma remains leg side of the ball, dances down the track and launches it over the wide long off fence for a biggie to end the over. A big one for India as 17 came off it.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Pitches up, full and around middle, does Xavier. Abhishek Sharma backs away a bit and lofts it over the bowler's head. The mid on fielder chases it down but both batters take two runs.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, ! THRASHED! A full toss, around middle, Abhishek Sharma charges down the track and carves it through the gap between extra cover and cover point for a boundary.
Xavier Bartlett to Abhishek Sharma, Angling in, on the fuller length and around middle, Abhishek clears his front leg away and goes hard on his swing. Gets it off the inner half of the bat but the ball goes in the gap to the right of deep backward square leg. Two runs are taken.
Xavier Bartlett to Shubman Gill, On a length and outside off, Gill gets on top of the bounce and punches it through the minute gap between cover point and backward point. Three runs are taken before Nathan Ellis hunts it down. There is a short run check from the third umpire and it is fine.
Xavier Bartlett to Shubman Gill, Inward movement, full and around off, Gill prods forward and looks to punch it with a straight bat but gets a leading edge. The ball goes a bit uppishly but lands before the backward point fielder, who dives to his right to make a good stop.
Who bowls now?
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, First runs!
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, Another short-pitched delivery, around off, Gill hops up and adjusts well to get on top of the bounce before dabbing it down to cover point.
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, Back of a length and over the top of the off stump. Shubman rises with the bounce and defends it into the deck.
The physio comes in for a mandatory concussion check now. He is asking the routine questions to Shubman Gill, who took a hard blow on his helmet.
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, NASTY!
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, JAFFA!
Josh Hazlewood to Shubman Gill, Oh, what a sigh for Gill. On a length, from over the wicket, angling in, around off. Shubman Gill gets forward but goes across to flick it. The ball keeps coming in and beats the inside edge of the bat and gets rapped on the front pad. There is a massive appeal for LBW and the umpire raises his finger. However, Gill has a chat with Abhishek Sharma before he takes a review. The third umpire is called in. Nothing comes on the UltraEdge. Ball Tracking presen
Is that a wicket first ball? Shubman Gill has been given LBW on-field but has taken a review here.
All in readiness now! It's a packed-out crowd here at the MCG, and they are absolutely buzzing with excitement. We can see the Australian players in a huddle just outside the ropes, where Mitchell Marsh is sharing a few words and laughs with his team. Now, they come through the fireworks and smoke to take up their respective field positions. Here come the two explosive openers for India - Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. Josh Hazlewood has the new ball in his hand and is raring to go. Let'
Weâre just moments away from the start of the game, but before that, players from both sides, the match officials, and the fans all observe a moment of silence to honour Ben Austin - a 17-year-old who tragically lost his life while batting in the nets in Melbourne. This tribute stands as a mark of respect to his family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time.
Suryakumar Yadav, the captain of India, says that losing the toss here does not matter as long as you are getting to do what you want, and they were looking to bowl first only. Adds that out of 40 matches, teams batting first have won 21 times on this ground. Mentions that they want to go hard from the top, and it starts with Abhishek setting the tone, and then he and Gill take over. Says that he is happy to be back in the middle order where he belongs. Tells that Gill knows how to score runs, a
The skipper of Australia, Mitchell Marsh, says that they will bowl first, calling it always special to play at the MCG. Adds that itâs a historic venue and they knew it was going to be packed tonight. He feels that the wicket looks really good for cricket and hopes it stays the same for the full 40 overs. Mentions that their plan is to restrict India to a manageable total and then chase it down confidently. Acknowledges that India is a strong side, and the team is excited for the challenge. In
Australia (Playing XI) - Mitchell Marsh (C), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (WK), Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Short (In place of Josh Philippe), Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann.
India (Unchanged Playing XI) - Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
TOSS - Well, no surprises as India have lost yet another toss. Australia have elected to BOWL first.
PITCH REPORT - Aaron Finch is pitchside with his thoughts. Finch says that the pitch looks well-balanced between bat and ball, though the overcast and cool conditions could offer some help to the seamers early on. Notes thereâs not much in it for the spinners, but maintaining tight lines and lengths could still be effective. Adds that the surface might get a touch slower as the game progresses, yet overall, it looks like a good wicket for batting and promises a fair contest between both sides.