Team India’s batting, which had shown glimpses of brilliance in Canberra, completely crumbled in Melbourne — largely due to a sensational spell from Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood. The right-arm fast bowler delivered a devastating performance in the second T20I, taking three wickets within the powerplay and giving away runs on only eight of his 24 deliveries. Remarkably, 16 of his balls were dot deliveries, highlighting his immaculate control and accuracy.

From the very first ball, Hazlewood looked in lethal rhythm. He trapped Shubman Gill LBW with his opening delivery — although DRS saved Gill initially, Hazlewood didn’t lose momentum. He went on to dismiss Gill for just 5 runs off 10 balls in his next over. The carnage continued as he removed Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, caught by wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, for only 1 run off 4 balls. Hazlewood wasn’t done yet — he struck again in the same over, sending Tilak Varma back to the pavilion without scoring.

By the end of his spell, Hazlewood’s figures read 4 overs, 13 runs, 3 wickets, with a staggering number of dot balls that left India reeling. His discipline and pace on the bouncy Melbourne track dismantled India’s top order and set the tone for Australia’s dominance early in the match.

With this performance, Hazlewood registered one of the most economical spells by an Australian against India, second only to Jason Behrendorff’s spell of 1 for 12 in Guwahati in 2023. Hazlewood also holds the third spot on that list for his spell in St. Lucia in 2024, where he conceded just 14 runs in four overs.

So far in 2025, Hazlewood has bowled 40 overs in the powerplay, taking 18 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 7.02 and an average of 15.61 — with over 55 percent dot balls. His masterclass in Melbourne was a reminder of why he remains one of the most feared new-ball bowlers in world cricket.