Indian opener Abhishek Sharma turned the game around at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with a blistering knock that lit up the second T20I against Australia. After failing to make an impact in the first match, the young left-hander came out firing, smashing his first-ever half-century against Australia — and that too in challenging conditions.

India, having chosen to bat first on Friday, lost five wickets for just 49 runs as Australia’s Josh Hazlewood tore through the top order. Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, and Tilak Varma all fell cheaply, leaving India reeling early in the innings.

However, Abhishek Sharma refused to back down. On a bouncy Melbourne pitch, he played with remarkable composure and aggression, counterattacking the Australian pacers with fearless strokeplay. He brought up his fifty in just 23 balls, hammering seven boundaries and one six in the process.

When Abhishek reached his milestone, India’s total was just 86 runs, underlining how dominant his contribution was amid the collapse. Partnering with Harshit Rana, he helped stabilize the innings and kept the scoreboard ticking.