Abhishek Sharma was left stunned when he learned that Josh Hazlewood would not feature in the remaining matches of the T20I series between India and Australia. Hazlewood, who tore through India’s batting lineup with a stunning spell of 3 for 13 in Melbourne, was named Player of the Match for his efforts. His performance restricted India to just 125 runs in the first innings, paving the way for Australia’s victory.
Speaking to the media after the game, Abhishek reacted with surprise when informed of Hazlewood’s withdrawal from the series due to Ashes preparations. “Oh, is he? I didn’t know this, but obviously, I mean, he’s good enough to play all formats. I was really enjoying this challenge because as a batter, you want to face world-class bowlers, and that’s what I was trying to do,” Abhishek said.
The young Indian opener also praised Hazlewood’s precision and tactical bowling, admitting he was impressed by the veteran pacer’s control in T20 cricket.
“I’ve been watching him in ODIs too, so we knew he was going to test us. The way he bowled today surprised me — I haven’t seen something like this in T20s,” Abhishek admitted. “I’m someone who likes to dominate, but when I saw how he was executing his plans so perfectly, it was fascinating.”
India will face Australia in the third T20I on November 2.
