Josh Hazlewood’s three-wicket haul sets up Australia’s win over India in second T20

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Josh Hazlewood took three wickets for 13 runs to put India on the back foot before Mitch Marsh plundered 46 runs to guide Australia to a four-wicket win Friday in the second Twenty20 cricket international.

Hazlewood set up the victory with his four-over opening spell which helped restrict India to 125 all out in 18.4 overs after Marsh won the toss and sent the visitors in to bat.

Australia cruised to 126-6 in 13.2 overs in reply, with Jasprit Bumrah reducing the margin by taking two wickets with consecutive deliveries in the penultimate over when the home team was just two runs from victory.

The first game in the five-match series was washed out in Canberra on Wednesday. The second match attracted a crowd of more than 82,400 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The series moves to Hobart on Sunday before a double-header in Queensland state next week.

“Everything feels in a good place, and ready to go,” said Hazlewood, who will leave Australia’s white-ball squad to start preparing for the Ashes tests against England starting next month in Perth.

India opener Abhishek Sharma scored more than half of his team’s runs at the MCG, belting 68 from 37 deliveries including eight boundaries and two sixes before he was the next-to-last wicket to fall in the 19th over.

He put on 20 for the first wicket with Shubman Gill and 55 for the sixth wicket with Harshit Rana (35) to keep the Indian innings ticking along while Australia’s bowlers exploited the conditions.

The 34-year-old Hazlewood put on a class of seam bowling, using an almost test-match line and length to trouble India’s top-order batting.

“The way he bowled in the power play— very difficult to recover from that,” India captain Suryakumar Yadav said.

Hazlewood’s start

The veteran Australian paceman trapped Shubman Gill in front on the first ball of the match but the lbw decision was overturned on review.

India took 17 runs off the second over from Xavier Bartlett before Hazlewood got his first wicket in the third, having Gill (5) caught at mid-off.

Nathan Ellis trapped Sanju Samson lbw in the fourth over and Hazlewood then had Yadav (1) and Tilak Varma caught behind to have India reeling at 32-4.

Axar Patel was run out for 7, turning to take a third run before he was sent back and couldn’t beat Tim David’s throw from the outfield, as India slipped to 49-5.

Abhishek reached 50 off 23 balls but had to watch as Bartlett took two wickets in three balls in the 16th over.

He had Harshit Rana caught on the boundary by David to end the 56-run sixth-wicket partnership, then Shivam Dube (4) edged a short ball for wicketkeeper Josh Inglis to glove a catch at full length.

Nathan Ellis trapped Abhishek lbw in the 19th over and then ran out Bumrah at the striker’s end after the the India No. 11 had a mix-up running with Varun Chakravarthy to end the innings.

Australia’s chase

Travis Head was out for 28 in the fifth over, caught on the boundary rope by Varma to end a 51-run opening stand.

Marsh hit two fours and two sixes in the eight over from Kuldeep Yadav before he was caught in the deep for 46 from 26 balls.

After watching wickets fall, Marcus Stoinis remained calm to hit the winning runs with more than six overs to spare.

Both teams wore black armbands in memory of 17-year-old cricketer Ben Austin, who died in a Melbourne hospital two days after being struck in the neck during a net session at his suburban club earlier this week.

Players, match officials and representatives of Austin’s clubs along with state and national cricket administrators observed a moment of silence before play, while his image was broadcast on stadium screens and his favorite song played in tribute.

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