11/08/25 05:14:00
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11/08 05:12 CST India clinches 2-1 T20 series victory over Australia after
another washout
India clinches 2-1 T20 series victory over Australia after another washout
By JOHN PYE
AP Sports Writer
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) --- Shubman Gill's India squad will take 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 before lightning forced
players and officials off the field at the Gabba on Saturday night.
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.
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.
Both teams were using the series as a chance to try combinations and rehearse
ahead of the T20 World Cup, now they 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.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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