NEW DELHI: India suffered a heavy defeat against Australia in the second T20I at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday. The visitors were outplayed in all three departments, as Australia comfortably chased down a modest 126-run target in just 13.2 overs to register a four-wicket win and level the series.

Dube and Bumrah’s remarkable streaks come to an end

The defeat not only exposed India’s batting frailties but also brought an end to two remarkable records held by key players. Shivam Dube’s incredible unbeaten streak of 37 T20Is, the longest ever by any player, came to a close. Dube had not been on the losing side in a T20I since December 2019, when India lost to the West Indies in Trivandrum. Jasprit Bumrah’s run of 24 unbeaten T20Is also ended with this result — his last defeat as a T20I player had come against New Zealand in Dubai in October 2021.

Dube’s brief stay at the crease, a four off two balls, summed up India’s struggles with the bat. Josh Hazlewood produced a clinical spell, finishing with 3 for 13 from his four overs, dismantling India’s top order inside the Powerplay. Only Abhishek Sharma (68 off 37) stood tall with a sparkling half-century, while Harshit Rana contributed 35 to help India reach 125 in 18.4 overs.

Australia dominate with bat and ball

In reply, Australia started aggressively with Mitchell Marsh (46 off 26) and Travis Head (28 off 15) putting India under pressure early. Despite a few late wickets from Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav, the hosts eased to victory with 40 balls to spare.

While India’s loss marked the end of two outstanding unbeaten streaks, both Dube and Bumrah remain among the most consistent performers in the shortest format, and their records underline their remarkable impact over the past few years.