Australia’s pace ace Josh Hazlewood produced a fiery spell during the second T20I against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday, October 31, delivering a nasty bouncer that struck Shubman Gill on the helmet. The incident occurred on just the third ball of India’s innings, leaving both players and fans momentarily concerned.
After the first T20I in Canberra was washed out due to rain — with India cruising at 97/1 in 9.4 overs before the downpour — both teams entered Melbourne hoping for a full contest. Once again, Australia’s captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and opted to bowl first, continuing India’s frustrating run of toss losses.
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Hazlewood, known for his precision and bounce, wasted no time testing Gill. The Indian opener attempted to pull but was beaten by pace and struck flush on the helmet. Hazlewood immediately walked up to check on him, and the physio conducted a mandatory concussion test before play resumed. Though Gill continued to bat, he never looked settled and was dismissed soon after for just 5 off 10 balls, trying to attack Hazlewood again.
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India’s batting woes deepened as Sanju Samson (2), Tilak Varma, and captain Suryakumar Yadav fell cheaply, leaving the visitors reeling at 32/4 inside the powerplay. Abhishek Sharma and Axar Patel were left with the task of rebuilding against Australia’s relentless pace attack.
Hazlewood led from the front, claiming three crucial wickets, while Nathan Ellis added one to his name. The duo exploited early movement brilliantly, keeping India under constant pressure.
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Interestingly, Gill had looked in sublime touch just days earlier in the rain-hit first T20I, smashing an unbeaten 37 off 20 balls with four fours and a six. Alongside Suryakumar’s fluent 39 off 24, India had seemed set for a commanding total before rain washed out the game.
Coming into the T20I series, India were seeking redemption after a 2–1 defeat in the preceding ODIs. However, with Hazlewood back at his lethal best and Australia firing in unison, the visitors were once again forced onto the back foot early in the contest.
