Brisbane, Nov 8 (UNI) And the rain has won. The fifth and final T20I between India and Australia at The Gabba was abandoned without a result after a heavy downpour and lightning made any further play impossible.
With the washout, India clinched the series 2-1, maintaining their unbeaten record in T20I series on Australian soil.
It was always going to be tough once the rain arrived in Brisbane, and this time, the weather left no room for recovery. The decider, set up beautifully after India’s comeback wins in the previous two matches, ended in disappointment for the spectators and players alike — marking the second no result of the series.
Before rain intervened, India were off to a flying start after being sent in to bat. Openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma put on an unbroken stand of 52 runs in just 4.5 overs. Gill was unbeaten on 29 off 16 balls, striking six boundaries, while Abhishek played aggressively for his 23 off 13 balls, including one four and one six.
Australia’s pacers struggled to find their rhythm in the brief passage of play. Ben Dwarshuis leaked 27 runs in his two overs, while Nathan Ellis and Xavier Bartlett also came under attack from the Indian openers.
Once the drizzle turned into a downpour accompanied by lightning, umpires Rod Tucker and Shawn Craig had no choice but to call off the match. Phillip Gillespie served as the third umpire, with Jeff Crowe as the match referee.
Earlier, Australian captain Mitchell Marsh had won the toss and elected to bowl first under cloudy skies, hoping to exploit early movement. However, India’s top order countered the conditions with intent before the rain took over.
With the series ending 2-1, India will return home having extended their streak of not losing a T20I series in Australia — a record that remains unbroken.
