India denied by rain after posting imposing 189/7 in opening T20I against England

 


India produced a commanding batting display but were denied a deserved victory as persistent rain forced the abandonment of the opening T20 International against England at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street. After winning the toss and opting to bat, skipper Shreyas Iyer led from the front with a classy 68 off 47 balls, while Abhishek Sharma smashed a breathtaking 59 from just 24 deliveries to propel India to an imposing 189/7 in their allotted 20 overs. However, not a single ball of England's reply could be bowled as heavy rain rendered the outfield unplayable, forcing the two teams to share the spoils.

India endured a disastrous start when Sanju Samson was dismissed for just 1 by Saqib Mahmood before Ishan Kishan was run out for 5 following a costly mix-up with Abhishek Sharma. Reduced to 6/2, India desperately needed a partnership, and Abhishek responded with an explosive counterattack. The left-hander punished England's seamers with fearless strokeplay, hammering boundaries and towering sixes in a scintillating innings that came off only 24 deliveries. During his knock, he also became the fastest batter to reach 100 sixes in T20 internationals in terms of balls faced, adding another milestone to his remarkable career.

Captain Shreyas Iyer then anchored the innings superbly. Mixing elegant drives with powerful strokes against both pace and spin, he compiled 68 from 47 balls to ensure India maintained their momentum through the middle overs. Shivam Dube provided the perfect finishing touch with an unbeaten 42 off just 21 deliveries, striking several lusty blows in the closing overs to lift India to a challenging total of 189/7.

For England, Saqib Mahmood was the standout bowler, finishing with impressive figures of 3/33, while Sam Curran chipped in with one wicket. Despite India's late flourish, England would have backed themselves to chase the target on a batting-friendly surface.

Unfortunately, dark clouds gathered soon after India's innings ended and steady rain quickly intensified. Multiple inspections were carried out by the umpires, but with the outfield remaining waterlogged, the match was eventually abandoned without England facing a single delivery. The washout meant both teams collected one point each, leaving the five-match T20I series level at 0-0 heading into the second match in Manchester. While the weather had the final say, India's batting performance—led by Shreyas Iyer, Abhishek Sharma and Shivam Dube—provided plenty of positives after their disappointing series defeat in Ireland.

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