Suryakumar smashes mammoth six
Video credit: TNT Sports
Rain ends intriguing match prematurely
Heavy rain in Canberra forced an end to the first T20 between Australia and India with the visitors poised to set up an imposing total.
After being sent in to bat, India reached 97-1 off 9.4 overs with Suryakumar Yadav (39 not out) and Shubman Gill (37 not out) unbeaten at the crease.
Abishek Sharma (19) got India off to a good start, hitting four boundaries before a tame dismissal chipping Nathan Ellis to Tim David at mid-on.
Suryakumar showed his intent in hitting Josh Hazlewood for a massive 93m six over square leg in the following over before rain forced the sides from the field for the first time.
On resumption, with the game reduced to 18 overs a side, Australia steadied the ship for a while before Gill launched a big six off the last ball of spinner Matthew Kuhnemann’s over, and Suryakumar smacked Ellis for two fours then a six in the first four balls of the next.
The contest was then halted at this heightened point of excitement. The teams will next meet on Friday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The match has been called off
The umpires have decided it is not possible to get play back underway.
A real shame as Suryakumar Yadav, with his three boundaries in four balls, had lit the touchpaper for what surely was going to be a spell of heavy hitting from India, after they reached the halfway stage of the match just one wicket down.
The rain is easing…
But we would need to get back on the field by 11.20am our time, if we are to get a game at all.
If we get back on…
It seems likely Australia will be batting and they will be chasing well over 10 an over. Those three boundaries in the last four balls from Suryakumar could be crucial in deciding the game. If we get a game, that is.
Rain remains heavy in Canberra
It does not look like we will have play again shortly.
Players leave the field again…
This time the rain looks heavy. They could be off for a while here.
India 97-1 (9.4 overs): Gill 37, Suryakumar 39
India stepping up the pace now with Suryakumar hitting back-to-back fours, leaping to hit a short ball wide of third man and then smacking the next over mid off. After a wide, the next goes for six over square leg. And then the rain came….
India 82-1 (9 overs): Gill 37, Suryakumar 25
A good over from Kuhnemann…until the last ball where Gill moves to the leg side and swats high into the stands at cow corner.
India 70-1 (8 overs): Gill 29, Suryakumar 21
Bartlett back into bowl and the third one is a leg side ‘Harmison’ which Inglis does well to stop. After, Suryakumar spoons a ball into the air over the bowler’s head but Philippe coming around from mid on spills it.
India 63-1 (7 overs): Gill 27, Suryakumar 17
Spin enters the fray through Kuhnemann and Suryakumar sends him to the boundary with a fine sweep for four.
India 53-1 (6 overs): Gill 22, Suryakumar 12
The two balls in the powerplay just ceded two runs but Gill came down the wicket and smashed a four wide of mid off.
We are back underway
Stoinis to bowl the sixth over.
Play will resume at 9.30am
The game will be reduced to 18 overs a side. It means India will just have two balls of the sixth over as a power play.
The covers are coming off
Play should resume shortly. I suspect we may have lost a couple of overs. Confirmation when we get it.
Rain has forced a halt in play
It is only slight drizzle but the umpires feel it is enough to stop play. They can be off for 20 minutes before they will start reducing the overs in the game.
India 43-1 (5 overs): Gill 16, Suryakumar 8
A huge six from Suryakumar deep into the stand behind square leg. The rest of the over is kept under control.
India 35-1 (4 overs): Gill 16, Suryakumar 1
It was a wicket Australia needed after Ellis began with a poor ball on leg stump is clipped for four by Gill, the second struck the batsman on the pad and they sent it upstairs, but VAR said umpire’s call. The next was then whacked past the bowler for four. Suryakumar gets off the mark from his first ball.
Abishek c David b Ellis 19
India 35-1 (3.5 overs)
The dangerman chips to mid off for a meek end to his innings.
India 26-0 (3 overs): Abishek 18, Gill 7
Gill top-edges over the keeper for four. Then the last ball of the over, Abishek just clears short fine leg for another boundary. Hazlewood not a happy man.
India 17-0 (2 overs): Abishek 15, Gill 2
Two more fours for Abishek from the second over from Bartlett. The first over point and the second through mid-wicket.
India 8-0 (1 over): Abishek 7, Gill 1
Hazlewood’s first over almost sees Abishek hole out to mid on first ball, before the opener smacks one through the covers from the last ball.
Australia have won the toss and decided to field
Welcome to live coverage of the first T20 International between Australia and India, from the Manuka Oval in Canberra…
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