Match Abandoned After India's Innings
Rain had the final say in the first Twenty20 international between England and India at Chester-le-Street, with the match abandoned after the tourists posted 189-7. Teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was once again denied his India debut, remaining on the sidelines for the third straight match on the tour.
Spectators at Durham's headquarters were given a glimpse of the 15-year-old as he warmed up on the outfield before play, but he was not included in the starting XI. Sooryavanshi had forced his way into the squad following a stellar Indian Premier League season, where he amassed 776 runs for the Rajasthan Royals, including a century and five fifties.
India's Recovery After Early Wickets
India won the toss and elected to bat, but slumped to 6-2 in the second over. Sanju Samson was superbly caught by a leaping Tom Banton off Saqib Mahmood, while Ishan Kishan was run out in a mix-up with Abhishek Sharma. Sharma made amends with a dynamic 59 from 24 balls, including two pulled sixes off a Mahmood over that went for 21, before being trapped lbw to Sam Curran's slower ball.
Captain Shreyas Iyer and Shivam Dube added late impetus, scoring 64 runs off the final six overs. Iyer struck 68 from 47 balls, and Dube remained 42 not out off 21 deliveries. Heavier rain arrived during the interval, bringing the covers on, and the match was called off at 1915 GMT.
England's Woeful Season Continues
For England, the weather denied them a chance to recover from a poor start to their home international season, which included a Test series loss to New Zealand. On Tuesday, white-ball captain Harry Brook said he would accept the Test captaincy if offered, believing it is possible to lead in all three formats simultaneously.
The series now moves to Old Trafford for the second T20 on Saturday. India, the T20 world champions, are looking to bounce back after a shock 2-0 series loss to Ireland in Belfast.
