First Australia-India Twenty20 washed out by Canberra rain

CANBERRA (Agencies): The first Twenty20 between Australia and India was washed out by the Canberra rain on Wednesday with the tourists able to bat for less than half of their allocated tally of overs for a total of 97 for one. Shubman Gill was 37 not out and skipper Suryakumar Yadav unbeaten on 39 when the first clash in a five-match series was stopped for the second and final time after 9.4 overs. India opener Abhishek Sharma had already toe-ended a Nathan Ellis delivery to Tim David at mid-off for 19 when drizzle brought play to an end for the first time and the match was reduced to 18 overs aside. Gill and Yadav at least gave the Manuka Oval crowd some entertainment when they smashed 54 runs in 4.4 overs before the rain swept over the Australian capital again. India, who are favourites to retain the T20 World Cup on home soil early next year, were looking to maintain the momentum after a consolation win in the final match of the one-day international series on Saturday. The second match in the T20 series takes place at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday. The tourists earlier suffered another injury blow when all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out of the first three T20s after suffering from neck spasms as he recovered from a quadriceps injury sustained in the ODI series. Batsman Shreyas Iyer suffered a lacerated spleen that required treatment in hospital when he fell awkwardly taking a catch in the Sydney ODI last weekend.