The fifth and final T20 International between India and Australia at The Gabba, Brisbane, was abandoned due to a fierce thunderstorm that swept across the venue on Saturday night. The match lasted just 4.5 overs before torrential rain and lightning forced players off the field, with India comfortably placed at 52 without loss when play stopped. The no-result meant India sealed the series 2–1, having already secured an unassailable lead.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal provided India with a flying start after being sent in to bat under heavy clouds. The pair raced to 52 in less than five overs, with Gaikwad striking 28 off 15 balls and Jaiswal on 24 off 12 when the weather intervened. Their aggressive opening stand gave India early control, but the ominous thunderheads rolling in from the west brought an abrupt end to proceedings.
Officials halted play immediately after lightning strikes were detected near the stadium, prioritising player and spectator safety. The rain that followed was relentless, with standing water quickly forming across the outfield. Multiple inspections by umpires Joel Wilson and Gerard Abood confirmed that conditions were unfit for resumption, and the match was officially called off nearly two hours later.
Cricket Australia later confirmed that the storm system over Brisbane had triggered lightning alerts that extended well into the night, leaving no chance for the match to continue. The weather had been a concern since the afternoon, with ground staff keeping covers at the ready even before the toss.
The abandonment capped a hard-fought series where both teams tested new combinations ahead of next year’s ICC T20 World Cup. India’s 2–1 triumph reflected their depth and composure across varying conditions. Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership earned praise for blending aggression with strategic calm, while the performances of Rinku Singh, Abhishek Sharma, and Axar Patel highlighted the growing maturity in India’s second-string core.
Australia, on the other hand, will rue missed opportunities. Despite individual brilliance from Travis Head and Tim David in earlier games, their bowling attack struggled to contain India’s batting depth. The washout denied them a chance to level the series, but captain Matthew Wade remained upbeat, noting that the series provided valuable data points for player roles and team balance.
The Gabba crowd, estimated at over 30,000, was visibly disappointed as the rain persisted. However, local safety regulations concerning electrical storms left organisers with little choice but to abandon play. Fans took shelter under the stands as lightning repeatedly struck within a few kilometres of the venue, lighting up the Brisbane sky in dramatic fashion.
For India, the result marked their fifth consecutive T20 series without defeat in 2025 and another confident step in their World Cup preparation. While the weather had the final say, the brief burst of batting fireworks from Gaikwad and Jaiswal offered a glimpse of India’s fearless intent—a style that now defines their white-ball cricket identity.
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