India clinches 2-1 T20 series victory over Australia after another washout

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

John Pye, The Associated Press

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