India clinched the five-match T20 International series against Australia 2-1 after the fifth and final game was abandoned due to rain here on Saturday.
Put in to bat, India made a blazing start with openers Abhishek Sharma (23 not out off 13 balls) and Shubman Gill (29 not out off 16 balls) going on the offensive. But lightning stopped play with India cruising at 52 for no loss in 4.5 overs. Soon after, heavy rain lashed the Gabba, forcing the match to be abandoned.
Earlier, Australia had their chances to remove the dangerous Abhishek early, but failed to capitalise on these opportunities. Glenn Maxwell dropped a sitter after the left-hander miscued a shot in the opening over, while Ben Dwarshuis spilled a regulation catch in the fourth over when Abhishek was on 11. Three balls later, Abhishek thrilled the Indian fans with a powerful flat six over mid-wicket.
Gill, meanwhile, took a special liking to Dwarshuis, hitting three boundaries off the left-arm pacer in the third over to keep India's brisk start intact.
The first T20I had also been washed out, while Australia won the second game by four wickets. However, India bounced back strongly to win the third and fourth matches by five wickets and 48 runs, respectively. Australia had won the last ODI series 2-1.
After receiving the player of the series award, Abhishek Sharma said, “I’ve been waiting for this tour. I was excited from the time the series was confirmed. My captain and coach have given me the responsibility to play freely and start big. They’ve given me clarity and space to go express myself. The T20 World Cup is one of the biggest tournaments and it’ll be a dream-come-true moment if and when I get to play there. I’ll make sure I’m ready for it.”
After lifting the trophy, India captain Suryakumar Yadav said, ‘The weather isn’t in our control. Credit to all the boys to bounce back after losing the first game. Bumrah, Arshdeep and the spinners are all doing really well. They bring a lot to the table. I saw recently what happened with the women’s team, who won the World Cup. There’s a lot of excitement, support and responsibility at home. Exciting tournament in prospect, but still a couple of series to go.”
Lamenting the weather, Australia captain Mitchell Marsh said, “I can’t remember the last time we played without rain. It was a good series, congrats to India on the win. A lot of learnings and positives to take. Especially the flexibility in the squad… we’ll be back to full strength for the World Cup.”
Also read: India aim to end series on a high
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