India clinches 2-1 T20 series victory over Australia after another washout

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) – Shubman Gill’s India squad is taking confidence out of a rain-marred 2-1 series win over Australia ahead of the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup it is co-hosting with Sri Lanka early next year.

India raced to 52 without loss in 4.5 overs in Game 5 on Saturday before lightning forced players and officials off the field at the Gabba.

The rain set in soon after, and the match was called off more than two hours later without a further ball being bowled.

Shubman Gill plundered the bowling, stroking six boundaries as he scored 29 off 16 deliveries. Abhishek Sharma had two reprieves and was 23 off 13, including a flat-batted six over mid-wicket.

In the process, Abhishek passed 1,000 career runs in T20 international cricket in just his 28th innings, second on India’s all-time list behind Virat Kohli, who reached the milestone in 27.

He said taking on the Australian bowling from the very first over was his plan coming into the tour.

“When you’re playing like this, when you want to dominate the opposition, you have to have that confidence and that ability,” Abhishek said. “I think the captain and coach always back me in that.”

It was the second washout of the series, after Game 1 in Canberra was abandoned after 9.4 overs on Oct. 29.

India took a 2-1 series lead with a 48-run victory Thursday on the Gold Coast, where Washington Sundar took three wickets in five deliveries to snuff out Australia’s run chase.

Gill said beating Australia at home was an important challenge ahead of the T20 World Cup, and gave the selectors plenty of options to build a squad for a title defense.

“Good headache to have,” he said, adding that India’s win in the Women’s ODI World Cup on home soil earlier this month had increased expectations.

“There’s a lot of excitement, support and responsibility at home.”

Responding to a question about the key takeaways from the series in Australia, Gill pointed to the trophy and smiled.

“There’s never anything like all bases covered. We always learn from this game,” he said. “Until now, things look good … let’s continue that.”

Both teams now turn attention from the shortest to the longest format in international cricket.

Australia’s next assignment is the first Ashes test against England in Perth starting Nov. 21. India is hosting South Africa in a two-test series starting Nov. 14.

Two uncharacteristic dropped catches had Australia under pressure after skipper Mitch Marsh won the toss and sent India in to bat on Saturday.

Glenn Maxwell put down a regulation chance in the first over despite getting two hands to it at mid-off when Abhishek miscued a Ben Dwarshuis delivery.

Gill hit the next ball for a boundary down the ground.

Dwarshuis conceded four boundaries in his next over – the third of the innings – with Gill finding the rope down the ground and on both sides of the wicket.

Abhishek had a second reprieve on 13 when he misjudged a faster ball from Nathan Ellis in the fourth over and Dwarshuis dropped a catch at fine leg.

Abhishek cleared the boundary for the first time in the series with a big, heaved six to finish the fourth over.

After the series-opening match was washed out, Australia won the second game before India rallied with a five-wicket win in Game 3.

The Australians won the preceding ODI series 2-1 after taking the first two games.