India’s young batting sensation Abhishek Sharma continues to impress the cricketing world, but even he was left awestruck by Josh Hazlewood’s masterclass in the second T20I between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday. Despite Abhishek’s brilliant 68 off 37 balls, India could only manage 125 before being bowled out, with Hazlewood producing one of the finest T20 spells in recent memory.
Hazlewood, known for his precision and control, completely dismantled India’s top order. He finished with figures of 3/13 from four overs, maintaining a remarkable economy rate of 3.2. His early strikes reduced India to 49/5 inside eight overs, and it was only Abhishek’s counterattacking knock that added some respectability to the total.
ALSO READ: Ravichandran Ashwin Pleads With Gautam Gambhir To Give Arshdeep Singh His Deserved Chance
The left-hander, who faced Hazlewood for just four deliveries, managed six runs, including a streaky boundary past the keeper. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Abhishek admitted that the Australian pacer’s execution took him aback.
“I was watching him during the ODIs too, so we knew he’d be a challenge,” said Abhishek Sharma . “But the way he bowled today even surprised me. I haven’t seen something like this in T20s. He had a plan and executed it perfectly.”
WATCH – Rishabh Pant Opens Up On His Challenging Recovery Journey After Foot Fracture
When informed that Hazlewood would not feature in the remaining matches as he prepares for the 2025–26 Ashes, Abhishek couldn’t hide his relief. “Oh, is he? I didn’t know that,” he laughed. “Obviously, he’s good enough to play all formats, but I was enjoying the challenge. As a batter, you have to test yourself against world-class bowlers, and that’s what I was trying to do.”
Abhishek Sharma got absolute donuts out of Travis Head, but his reaction to finding out Josh Hazlewood wasn’t playing the rest of this series was priceless 😂 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/mMaz0fAnQN
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 31, 2025
With this win, Australia lead the five-match T20I series 1-0, following the washout in Canberra. The third T20I will be played in Hobart on Sunday, where India will look to bounce back and level the series.
