![Abhishek Sharma and Harshit Rana put up a fight for IND [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1761906501959_abhishek_rana(1).jpg?type=hq)
Abhishek Sharma and Harshit Rana put up a fight for IND [Source: AFP]
Team India had a rare batting collapse in the second T20I against Australia, as Josh Hazlewood's sensational spell left them in tatters early in the innings. The Australian speedster not only bagged a three-wicket haul but also became Australia's most successful T20I bowler alongside Mitchell Starc.
However, amid Hazlewood's bowling masterclass, what stood out from India's perspective was a brilliant partnership between Abhishek Sharma and Harshit Rana, who ensured India breached the 120-run mark and gave their bowlers something to defend.
So, as India finish their innings in the MCG T20I, here are three major takeaways from their outing.
Abhishek Sharma 2.0 arrives
| Balls | Runs scored |
| 1-10 | 24 |
| 11-20 | 23 |
| 21-38 | 21 |
(Abhishek Sharma nicely paced his innings)
After Australian captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and elected to bowl first, India had a disastrous start to their innings, losing four wickets in quick succession. Hazlewood's stunning spell reduced India to 49 for five before Abhishek Sharma took the challenge head-on and played a knock for the ages.
We have seen Abhishek playing the aggressor's role and ensuring flamboyant starts for the Indian team in T20I cricket. However, his fifty in the second T20I against Australia was a perfect mixture of caution and aggression, showcasing his maturity as a batter.
The southpaw focused on manoeuvring singles and doubles, scoring 24 runs by running between the wickets. That said, he also maintained a blistering strike rate of 183.78, showing his ability to thrive irrespective of the pitch and playing conditions.
Although Abhishek stuck to his natural game, it was more of a calculated risk rather than slogging. As we say in cricketing terms, Abhishek's percentage cricket shed light on the other aspect of his batting, highlighting why India can trust a power-hitter like him to arrest batting collapses.
SKY, Gill, Samson waste another opportunity
As India were asked to bat under tricky conditions, the focus was on the decorated trio of Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson and Shubman Gill. However, SKY and Gill fell prey to Hazlewood's wizardry, while Samson was trapped plumb in front by a sharp nip-backer from Nathan Ellis.
Coincidentally, the stage was set for all three of these batters to step up with the bat and regain some form amid heavy criticism. Captain Suryakumar Yadav averages just over 15 in T20Is this year, while Gill has yet to find his feet in the shortest format. Meanwhile, Samson got a rare opportunity to bat up the order only to prove his critics right and provide them a valid reason to question his place.
Harshit Rana, the all-rounder, enters India's T20 WC scheme of things
The biggest takeaway from the Indian innings was the emergence of Harshit Rana as a potent batting option. It's fair to say that the Gautam Gambhir-led think tank took a huge gamble by promoting Rana over Shivam Dube at number seven. Honestly, it could've gone either way, and Gambhir knew the fans would troll him heavily had Harshit played a match-losing knock.
However, contrary to the expectations, Rana proved why the management backs him to the hilt and wants to groom him as an all-rounder amid Hardik Pandya and Nitish Reddy's fitness concerns.
Although Rana played 33 balls for his 35, it provided a sense of security to the Indian team until he stood there and formed a vital 56-run stand with Abhishek, powering India to 125 after an ugly collapse. The young cricketer also showed his power-hitting skills, smashing three boundaries and one six, auditioning for the all-rounder's slot ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
