Suryakumar & India Hand Australia Their First T20I Series Defeat In 2 Years

It was a rather tame end to the much-anticipated five-match T20I series between India and Australia as a combination of heavy rain and lightning meant that the final game at The Gabba came to a premature end. India were flying at 52/0 in 4.5 overs when players went off the field due to lightning, and persistent bad weather ensured that the contest ended in a no-result.

The no-result means that India walk away as victors, having won the series 2-1.  Remarkably, it’s Australia’s first bilateral series defeat in T20I cricket in two full years, and also Mitchell Marsh’s first ever series loss as captain. Before tonight, Marsh had gone eight series unbeaten, and had an unblemished record as the captain of Australia in T20I bilaterals. 

In fact, Australia’s last defeat in a T20I bilateral series (before this) also came against India, in November 2023, immediately after the 2023 ODI World Cup. The last time Australia lost a T20I series to a team other than India was back in October 2022, at home against England. 

The result also means that India have now won gone 10 straight bilateral series in a row in T20Is unbeaten. It includes nine series wins, with the only drawn series coming against South Africa in late 2023. West Indies (in August 2023) were the last team to beat India in a bilateral series, when they won 3-2 in a five-match series at home. That, to date, remains the only bilateral T20I series team India have lost since November 2021. 

Both India and Australia will now shift their attention to Test cricket. While India begin a two-Test series at home against South Africa from November 14, Australia will play The Ashes from November 21.