| England 178-7 (20 overs): Malan 82, Moeen 44, Stoinis 3-34 |
| Australia 170-6 (20 overs): M Marsh 45, David 40, S Curran 3-25 |
| England won by eight runs |
| Scorecard |
England took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the Twenty20 series with a eight-run victory over Australia.
After England were reduced to 54-4 in Canberra, the recovery was led by Malan.
England reached 178-7 from their 20 overs as they put on 92 for the fifthwicket with the help of MoeenAli.
The game was tipped in the tourists' favour in the 18th over, when Tim David was trapped in front of the crease.
England's superior fielding proved to be the difference in the match as Australia was only able to reach 170/6.
The win was even more impressive because it was close to a full-strength Australia side, with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood restored to the bowling attack.
It wasn't the full performance. Chris Jordan and Adil Rashid were expensive with the ball.
With the World Cup around the corner, the ability of some players to step up when others struggle is an important commodity.
The third and final game of the series takes place in the nation's capital. England will play Pakistan in a warm-up match on Monday before playing Afghanistan in the World Cup.
After being pushed down the order to seven in the first T20, Malan played like he had a point to prove.
There is a perception that there is a slow start in T20 cricket, but that is not the case.
The recovery was launched by smashing Cummins for four and six in his first five deliveries.
Buttler had already survived a lbw shout on review as Cummins found some early swing, but had no such reprieve two overs later when he was out for 17 top-edging a pull that was well taken by Zampa.
Hales, who hit a match-winning 85 in Perth on Sunday, was out for a seven-ball four when he tamely drove Marcus Stoinis straight to David Warner.
Despite that failure, Hales is still the favourite to open the World Cup with Buttler.
He was out for seven in the first T20 as he tried to get Zampa out of the ground.
Liam Livingstone is waiting in the wings and hopes to be fit in time for England's final warm-up game against Pakistan.
He opened the bowling for the first time in a T20 international and showed his athletic ability with a superb piece of fielding to take a one-handed catch on the boundary, before flicking the ball back into play as he fell over the rope.
As the game went to the wire, that piece of work was crucial.
There's more to come.
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