BRISBANE: 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.
India clinches 2-1 T20 series victory over Australia after another washout
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India clinches 2-1 T20 series victory over Australia after another washout
- 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
Man United climb to third, Fulham sink sorry Spurs
- Red Devils have taken their tally to 19 points from a possible 21
LONDON: Benjamin Sesko stretched his hot streak with the winning goal as Manchester United beat Crystal Palace 2-1 to go third in the Premier League, while Tottenham failed to dispel relegation fears after defeat at Fulham.
Sesko was handed his first start in seven games since Michael Carrick took charge at Old Trafford and rewarded his boss with another vital goal to edge United closer to a return to the Champions League.
Palace had taken an early lead at Old Trafford when Maxence Lacroix outmuscled Leny Yoro to guide in a header from Brennan Johnson’s corner.
But United hit back to remain unbeaten under Carrick and take their tally to 19 points from a possible 21.
The game swung on one incident as Lacroix was sent off and conceded a penalty for pulling back Matheus Cunha just before the hour mark.
Bruno Fernandes confidently stroked the resulting spot kick past former teammate Dean Henderson.
Fernandes was then the creator for the second as his curling cross was powered in by Sesko.
The Slovenian has now scored seven times in his last eight appearances to quieten critics of his £74 million ($100 million) price tag after a slow start to his career in England.
Tottenham remain perilously poised just four points above the relegation zone as interim boss Igor Tudor again failed to halt their alarming slide after a 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage.
Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi gave Fulham a deserved half-time lead as they moved up to ninth and back into contention for European football next season.
Richarlison headed in a late consolation for Tottenham, but they remain the only Premier League side without a win in 2026.
The one crumb of comfort for Spurs was defeat for relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, 2-1 at Brighton.
All three goals arrived in the first 15 minutes as Diego Gomez and Danny Welbeck netted for the Seagulls either side of Morgan Gibbs-White’s reply.
Forest sit two points above the drop zone ahead of a daunting trip to Manchester City on Wednesday.
