9 batters score in single digits as India suffer heavy loss to Australia in 2nd T20I

Abhishek Sharma's powerful fifty was the saving grace in India's four-wicket loss to Australia in the second T20I in Melbourne on Friday.

The Aussies were a tad casual in getting across the finish line, losing Mitchell Owen (1) and Matthew Short (0) in successive deliveries to Bumrah, just two runs from victory. But they eventually surpassed the modest target of 126 runs with 40 balls to spare.

After the washout in Canberra, the hosts lead the five-match series 1-0 and will head to Hobart for the third encounter on November 2 with a chance to deny the visitors the honour of a series win Down Under.

Opener Sharma scored 68 off 37, contributing to more than half of India's 125-run total. Barring Harshit Rana's 35, no other Indian scored in double digits. Tilak Varma and tailenders Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah were dismissed for ducks, Axar Patel's 7 off 12 was the third-best score, while Shubman Gill made 5, Shivam Dube, 4, and Sanju Samson, 2.

It was the pace and accuracy of the Aussie pace attack that kept India on the back foot. Josh Hazlewood claimed 3/13, while Xavier Bartlett and Nathan Ellis bagged two wickets each.

In response, Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head gave an explosive start, adding 51 off 4.2 overs, before the latter was removed by Varun Chakravarthy for 28. Marsh top-scored with 46.

Brief scores: India 125 in 18.4 overs (Abhishek Sharma 68, Harshit Rana 35, Josh Hazlewood 3/13, Nathan Ellis 2/21, Xavier Bartlett 2/39) lost to Australia 126/6 in 13.2 overs (Mitchell Marsh 46, Travis Head 28, Varun Chakravarthy 2/23, Jasprit Bumrah 2/26, Kuldeep Yadav 2/45)