Canberra: India captain Suryakumar Yadav rediscovered his touch with a flurry of elegant strokes, but persistent rain forced the abandonment of the first T20 International against Australia at Manuka Oval on Wednesday.
Suryakumar, unbeaten on 39 off 24 balls, looked in sublime form as he teamed up with vice-captain Shubman Gill, who remained not out on 37 from 20 deliveries. The duo stitched together an entertaining 62-run stand off 35 balls for the second wicket, giving India strong momentum before the weather intervened.
The Indian skipper, who had struggled for form throughout 2025 with just 100 runs at a strike rate below 110, signalled his return to rhythm by dispatching Josh Hazlewood over the square leg fence for a trademark six. The Manuka Oval pitch, offering good bounce and carry, seemed tailor-made for his aggressive yet controlled batting.
After a cautious start, Suryakumar broke free in Nathan Ellis’s 10th over, hammering three boundaries — a square cut, an off-drive, and a towering pull over mid-wicket — just before the skies opened up.
Gill, on the other hand, mixed composure with aggression, finding gaps with ease and hitting a powerful slog-swept six off spinner Matt Kuhnemann. His confident stroke play signalled his growing authority in the shortest format.
Earlier, opener Abhishek Sharma (19 off 14) began briskly with three boundaries off Xavier Bartlett but fell to Ellis’s clever slower ball, miscuing a shot to mid-off.
India were 94 for 1 in 9.4 overs when rain interrupted play for the second time, eventually leading to the match being called off. Despite the disappointment, India’s top order showed promise ahead of the remaining games in the series.
