Clash called off amid downpour
RAIN forced Australia’s second T20 against India to be called off without the tourists batting.
Australia made 7-132 from 19 overs before the players were forced from the MCG at 8.20pm.
Play looked like resuming several times, but the rain kept returning and eventually the match was called off just after 10pm.
Australia take a 1-0 lead into the final game of the three-match series on Sunday at the SCG.
Originally, India needed 137 from 19 overs under the DLS method and it looked like play would resume.
But the driving rain that made most of Friday miserable in Melbourne then returned and would not abate.
Ben McDermott top-scored with 32no and Andrew Tye made unbeaten 16. The cold, wet conditions matched the home side’s fortunes for much of their innings, with Billy Stanlake ruled out when he rolled an ankle in the warm- up.
Then Australia lost the toss and steadily lost wickets before some late-order resistance.
The conditions were so dismal that Dinesh Karthik wore a beanie in the field.
Nathan Coulter-Nile took Stanlake’s place and that was the only change to the two line-ups, after Australia won the opening match of the three-game series in Brisbane this week.
The Gabba match also featured a rain delay.
Australia’s four-run win broke their four-game T20 losing streak.
Despite the wintry weather throughout most of yesterday, the match started on time and attracted a boisterous crowd.
The home side made a disastrous start when Aaron Finch tried to drive a wide delivery from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and was caught behind for a golden duck on the second ball of the innings.
The Australian T20 captain has made just 96 runs from his last 10 international innings.
No top order batsman made it past 20 and when local favourite Glenn Maxwell was bowled for 19, Australia were in dire straits at 5-62.
Coulter-Nile, coming in at No.8, belted two sixes in his quickfire 20 as the Australians staged a rearguard action.
Australia were still struggling at 7-103 after 17 overs, but Khaleel Ahmed then bled 19 runs, including two fours and a six, in his last over.
Kumar claimed two wickets and Jasprit Bumrah took 1-20 from his four overs. AAP