Melbourne, Oct 30 (IANS) Ahead of the second T20I against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the Indian team arrived here on Thursday.

The Suryakumar Yadav-led team will aim to take an early lead in the five-match series after the first T20I was abandoned due to rain in Canberra on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Indian team will be riding high on the confidence with the captain finding form with the bat. In the washed-out encounter, Suryakumar played an unbeaten knock of 39, while opener Shubman Gill remained not out on 37 before rain interrupted the proceedings.

After winning the toss, Australia opted to bowl first, and Abhishek Sharma gave India a quick start, hitting the boundary three times in the first two overs. At the other end, Shubman Gill also found his rhythm with a couple of boundaries off Nathan Ellis before the pacer responded with a clever slower ball to dismiss Abhishek.

Suryakumar Yadav then announced his arrival with a trademark flick for six, but rain interrupted play shortly after. When the match resumed, the contest was reduced to 18 overs per side. After a quiet period, both Gill and Suryakumar shifted gears, with the Indian captain in particular regaining form after a lean patch.

Gill hit a slog sweep off Matthew Kuhnemann, while Suryakumar faced Ellis for back-to-back boundaries and a six. With India at 97 for 1 in 9.4 overs, they appeared poised for a strong finish before rain returned, this time halting the match prematurely. The second game is scheduled for Friday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Earlier, India lost the three-match ODI series 2-1, with white-ball greats Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returning to form after early setbacks on the tour.

–IANS

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