Australia vs India: Second T20 showdown at a sold-out MCG

Australia and India will resume their five-match T20 series on Friday night at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), after the opening game was washed out mid-innings in Sydney. Play begins at 7:15pm local time (08:15 GMT), with Al Jazeera Sport’s live coverage starting from 5:45 GMT.

India, the reigning T20 World Cup champions and world number one side, enter the contest with an imposing record over Australia, seven wins in their last eight T20 meetings, including the last three straight. Australia, ranked second, are unbeaten in their last eight bilateral series but have never won a multi-match home series against India.

Rain spoiled opener

Wednesday’s first T20 was abandoned after just 9.4 overs of India’s innings. Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill had dazzled in the brief action, Yadav smashing 39 off 24 balls and Gill adding 37 off 20, before the rain closed in. Their unbeaten stand of 62 off 35 deliveries gave India the early momentum that never got a chance to build.

Form check

Australia come into the series with confidence, having won seven of their last eight T20 series. India’s run is even better, nine series unbeaten, including six consecutive wins.

The last time the two sides met in a T20 World Cup, India eliminated Australia in the 2024 Super Six stage in Saint Lucia on their way to beating South Africa in the final. The next World Cup will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, 2026, with the final at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.

The venue and the buzz

The MCG, with its 90,000 capacity, is the world’s second-largest cricket ground after Ahmedabad’s 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium. Friday’s fixture is a complete sellout — even more impressive given Britpop band Oasis are performing the same night across town at Marvel Stadium.

A near ocean of blue is expected to fill the stands, with India’s travelling fans outnumbering the home support in green and gold.

What the Aussies are saying

For several Australian players, Friday will mark their first time playing at the MCG in national colours. “It’s an experience for the guys who haven’t been there and done it,” bowler Nathan Ellis said. “We were just talking about those early BBL days where the Melbourne Derby would get 90-odd thousand. It’s exciting, a few of us have had this one in the calendar for a while.”

Key stats

• India have won 7 of their last 8 T20s vs Australia
• Australia have never won a multi-match home series against India
• India are unbeaten in 9 bilateral T20 series