New Delhi: A brilliant half century from Shreyas Iyer and an explosive innings by Abhishek Sharma helped India return to form with the bat before rain forced the opening T20 International against England to be abandoned in Durham on Wednesday.
After being asked to bat first, India recovered from an early setback to post a competitive 189 for seven, offering a much needed boost after disappointing performances during the recent series defeat against Ireland.
The start, however, was far from ideal for the visitors. India lost both Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan with just six runs on the board, briefly raising concerns of another batting collapse.
Those fears quickly disappeared as Abhishek launched a stunning counter attack. The left hander took on the English pace attack with fearless stroke play, dominating the powerplay and racing to his half century in just 20 deliveries.
He eventually departed for a sparkling 59, but not before putting India firmly back in control with an 82 run partnership for the third wicket alongside captain Shreyas Iyer.
While Abhishek provided the fireworks, Shreyas anchored the innings with a composed and calculated knock of 68. The Indian skipper focused on rotating the strike and finding boundaries at regular intervals before bringing up his ninth T20I half century and his first as captain.
After Shreyas’ dismissal, Shivam Dube provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 42 off just 21 balls, helping India add crucial runs in the closing overs.
England’s chase of 190 never got underway as heavy rain arrived during the innings break and refused to relent. Match officials eventually called off the contest, leaving both teams to share the points.
The second match of the five game series will be played in Manchester on July 4.
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