Team India spinner Varun Chakravarthy baffled Australian middle-order batsman Tim David with his tactics during the second T20I between the two teams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, October 31. The right-handed batsman managed to score just one run before being dismissed by Chakravarthy.
Invited to bat first on a challenging pitch, Team India scored 124 runs in 18.4 overs, which helped the fast bowlers throughout the innings. Opener Abhishek Sharma was the top scorer for the team by scoring 68 runs on 37 balls. Josh Hazlewood was the best bowler for Australia with three wickets.
Australian openers Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh gave a great start to the team. The duo added 51 runs off 27 balls, before Varun Chakravarthy dismissed Head, who scored 28 runs off 15 balls. Tim David came to the crease at number four when Marsh, who scored 46 runs in 26 balls, was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav.
WATCH: Tim David gets mentally destroyed by Varun Chakraborty’s mind games
Tilak Verma stood nearby with his helmet on, leading to a light exchange of smiles and conversation between the fielders and Tim David. The Australian batsman stepped back once, while Chakraborty stopped his run-up to increase the tension.
David managed to score a run with a back-foot punch over long-on, but after only a few balls, he attempted a soft defensive push on a googly which went in length. He bowled the ball straight to Chakraborty, who completed a simple return catch.
The dismissal reduced Australia’s score to three wickets, with Chakraborty striking twice in succession. Chasing a target of 126, Australia was 90/3 after 8.4 overs.
Cricket.com.au shared the clip on social media on
Watch the video posted by cricket.com.au on X (formerly known as Twitter) below:
Varun Chakraborty vs Tim David was playing some serious mind games #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/uuUPTSqwDD
– cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) 31 October 2025
Varun Chakravarthy was the best bowler for India when defending the target. He took two wickets for 23 runs in four overs. Jasprit Bumrah also took two wickets in his four overs. The home team suffered a late defeat but achieved the target in the 14th over with six wickets in hand.
Despite Abhishek Sharma’s brilliant innings, Team India’s disappointing performance with the bat.
India faltered with the bat, as the top order struggled to handle Australia’s movement and extra bounce. Within eight overs, the visiting team was in a difficult position at 49/5.
Abhishek Sharma was the only top-order batsman to withstand the pressure, he got some support from Harshit Rana, who contributed 35 runs from 33 balls. Their partnership helped India cross the 100-run mark.
However, the innings ended at just 125 runs in 18.4 overs, with only Abhishek and Rana reaching double figures. After the first match in Canberra was washed out due to rain, the home team took a crucial 1–0 lead in the five-match series.
Also read: Josh Hazlewood hits Shubman Gill on the head with brutal bouncer; Batsmen shaken by bad hit at MCG
