Mumbai: Shubman Gill and skipper Surya Kumar Yadav aka SKY had just started to cut loose and were threatening to post an imposing total when the skies opened up for the second time during the opening T20 International against Australia on Wednesday evening.

With the rain not relenting, the umpires were forced to call off the match at Canberra’s Manuka Oval, with India on 97/1 in 9.4 overs.

Asked to bat first after Mitchell Marsh won the toss, the flamboyant Abhishek Sharma (19) spanked four boundaries before chipping one straight to mid-off.

SKY, looking to get back among the runs after four low scores in last month’s Asia Cup, announced his intentions by hitting a typical pick-up six over square leg off the miserly Josh Hazlewood.

India reached 43/1 in 5 overs when rain forced the first stoppage. Once the game restarted after a 50-minute break, the match was reduced to 18 overs per side.

SKY and Shubman, the Test and ODI captain, complemented each other as they took a heavy toll of the Aussie attack.

SKY smacked 3 fours and 2 sixes in his 39 off 24 balls, while Shubman raced to 37 in 20 balls (4×4, 1×6) to put the men in blue on course for a total close to 200. However, the weathergods had other ideas.