The fifth and final T20I between Australia and India at Brisbane ended in disappointment as continuous rain forced the match to be abandoned. With the first
T20I also washed out earlier in the series, India sealed a 2-1 victory, finishing off another successful limited-overs campaign Down Under.
After India took a 2-1 lead in the fourth T20I, the series finale at the Gabba was expected to go down to the wire. Australia won the toss and elected to field first, hoping to restrict India early. Openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma began aggressively, continuing their fine form from the previous matches. The duo raced to 52 without loss in just 4.5 overs. Gill looked in sublime touch, smashing six boundaries in his 16-ball 29, while Abhishek hit 23 off just 13 deliveries with one four and a six.
Initially, the play was halted due to lightning concerns, although rain hadn’t started yet. However, minutes later, heavy showers and severe weather warnings forced spectators to move to safety. The players never returned to the field. Despite a few dry intervals, the rain kept returning, eventually forcing the umpires to call off the game. The no-result meant that the first and last T20Is of the series were both washed out. The Player of the Series Award went to young opener Abhishek Sharma, who scored 163 runs throughout the five-match series.
Abhishek Sharma, Player of the Tournament
I've been waiting for this tour. I was excited from the time the series was confirmed. Pitches are batting-friendly. I feel we could've gotten bigger scores but we've done well in the series. The way Hazlewood was bowling would be useful. I've enjoyed my battles with him. I was practicing for these kinda bowlers because that's how you build momentum for your team. My captain and coach have given the responsibility to play freely and start big. They've given me clarity and space to go express myself. T20 WC is one of the biggest tournaments, it'll be a dream-come-true moment if and when I get to play there. I'll make sure I'll be ready for it.
Suryakumar Yadav, India (Winning Captain)
Weather isn't in our control. Credit to all the boys to bounce back after losing the first game. Bowlers, fast and spin, know their roles really well. Bumrah, Arshdeep and the spinners are all doing really well. They bring a lot to the table, plan for things and execute them which is what you want. Good headache to have wrt the squads for the WC. We have 2-3 series, which offers us a great build-up. I saw recently what happened with the women's team, who won the WC. There's a lot of excitement, support and responsibility at home. Exciting tournament but still a couple of series to go.
Mitchell Marsh, Australia (Losing Captain)
Can't remember the last time we played without rain. It was a good series, congrats to India on the win. A lot of learnings, positives to take. Especially the flexibility in a world cup year. We'll be back to full strength for the WC. BBL will hopefully help prepare, and Scorchers win. He says he will be captaining at the WC, not Cummins.
