RAIN PUTS DAMPENER ON SERIES OPENER

TORRENTIAL rain brought a premature end to the first match of the women’s T20 series between Australia and India on the Gold Coast last night.

Play was called off at Carrara at 8.55pm local time with the tourists having amassed a solid 4-131 from 15.2 overs, after

Australian skipper Meg Lanning had won the toss and put the Indians in.

Jemimah Rodrigues (49no) fell just short of a deserved half-century, with her innings coming off only 36 balls and featuring seven boundaries.

Rodrigues came to the crease after Test centurion

Smriti Mandhana (17) and fellow opener Shafali Verma (18) had gotten the tourists off to a flyer, racing to 31 from 3.2 overs before Mandhana departed.

Ashleigh Gardner was Australia’s best with 2-28.

The second match of the series is at Carrara on Saturday.