Australia vs India, 2nd T20I: Persistent Rain forces match to be abandoned

Match abandoned

Rain has forced the match to be abandoned. As Michael Clarke put it on air: “Australia will be happy. They would have lost this game.”

India’s bowlers were in fine nick earlier in the day – the pacers bowled with good pace and found the right length while the spinners gave the ball good flight to send back the Australian top order in quick time.

The teams will head to Sydney for the final T20I on Sunday with the hosts leading the series 1-0.

Another update:

And it starts raining again

This time the rain is coming down hard. How will this impact the wicket?

Innings break

India need 90 runs in 11 overs (DLS) to win the 2nd T20I. Not easy given how the pacemen had bowled but India have 10 wickets in hand and just 11 overs. This should be fun.

After 19 overs, Australia 132-7

Rain has stopped play.

It started raining towards the end of the innings and play continued for a while much to Kohli’s annoyance. This will mean that India’s openers won’t have it easy when they come out to the bat. Australia’s bowlers will have a lot more moisture of work with. Then again, Ben McDermott helped Australia get back in the game with a few good overs.

Deep trouble: Bhuvi strikes to remove Coulter-Nile, who hit it straight to Pandey at deep point. The third Australian batsman caught at that position today. He made 18 off 9. He was striking it well – as well as we have seen any Australian batsman strike it today. Aus 101-7.

After 15 overs, Australia 92-6

Carey falls: Kuldeep gets his first one. Carey made just 4, failed to read Kuldeep and holed out in the deep. Australia struggling at 74-6.

Max wicket: As long as Maxwell was in the middle, there was the hope that Australia would still put up a decent total on board. But Krunal came up with a beautiful delivery to send back the dangerous batsman. The ball pitched in line, turned, hit the pads on the way to hitting the off-stump. Australia 62-5. It is the lowest total at Melbourne in the T20 game for the loss of 5 wickets.

After 10 overs, Australia 54-4

Stoinis loses it: Poor, poor cricket by Stoinis. The side are in trouble, there were two fielder back for the short ball and he hit it straight to one of them – Dinesh Karthik in a beanie. Surely, his captain would have expected more from him.

Khaleel strikes again! Kohli kept Khaleel in the attack and the left-armer responded by getting him another wicket. Short went for the pull but only ended up playing on. Big inside edge. Australia 35-3 after 5.3 overs and in some big trouble.

After 5 overs, Australia 34-2

Short 14, Maxwell 3

Khaleel strikes: The left-armer had kept it wide to Lynn for a while but Lynn didn’t quite adapt to the tactical change. He still wanted to smash it out of the park. Only, Khaleel also slipped in a slower ball. The pace variation induced a top edge which was well held by Krunal, who ran in 10-15 yards to catch it. Lynn made 3.

Another drop? Bumrah misjudged it at the boundary line and Chris Lynn gets a life. Bhuvneshwar’s knuckle ball induced the false shot and it went straight to Bumrah, who didn’t realise he had a couple of steps more that he could have taken before he hit the boundary line. The fielder also bumped it over the boundary line for 6. Lynn was on 0.

Dropped: Pant drops a tough chance. He was at full stretch, got his left glove to it but couldn’t hang on to it. Short (on 7) survives. Aus 10-1.

Finch gone: It was just the second ball of the match and the Australia skipper was probably just a little lazy. Bhuvneshwar kept it wide, hoping to make the most of the overcast and windy conditions, and Finch just went for a lazy swipe. Finch made 0.

Toss

India won the toss in the second T20I against Australia at Melbourne and once again chose to field first.

Australia’s batsmen had trouble picking Kuldeep Yadav in the first game so it will be interesting to see how they go about that challenge.

But there has been rain around and that played a huge part in Kohli’s decision.

“The wicket has been under covers for a while, overcast and windy as well. I thought we did well chasing in the last game, Duckworth-Lewis made it beyond our reach,” said Kohli at the toss. “If we manage to bat better in certain situations, which we didn’t do last game, we should be able to do alright. We’re playing the same team. As I said, just need to do the little things right. If we can have a good game with the ball and bat, we should be alright. We just need a complete game to be put together.”

Australia were forced to make one change to their line-up after Billy Stanlake injured his ankle during the warm-ups.

“I would have bowled first as well if I won the toss, like the other night,” said Finch. “Not too fussed as the pitch won’t change in 40 overs. Hopefully put some runs on the board and put some pressure on them. One change. Billy Stanlake has hurt his ankle and Nathan Coulter-Nile replaces him.”

India XI: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, K L Rahul, Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), D’Arcy Short, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Ben McDermott, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff, Adam Zampa.