India and England head to Old Trafford after a washed-out T20I opener
India’s batting fired in a rain-ruined series opener at Chester-le-Street. The five-match T20I series resumes at Old Trafford on July 4 with the sides level and four games still to play.
Jul 2, 2026
The weather took the first word in this series, and both sides will want the cricket to have the next. India piled up 189 for 7 at Chester-le-Street on July 1 and then watched the rain arrive before England could face a ball, leaving the opening Twenty20 international washed out and the five-match series level at 0-0. The action moves to Emirates Old Trafford on July 4, and Shreyas Iyer’s tourists head to Manchester knowing their batting already looks ready.
A total that never got tested
What India produced in Durham was worth watching, even if it counted for nothing. Abhishek Sharma set the tone with 59 from 24 balls, reaching his fifty in 20 deliveries and tearing into the powerplay. Iyer, leading the side, top-scored with 68 and gave the innings its spine, while Shivam Dube closed things out with 42 at a strike rate of 200 to lift India past 189. It was the kind of total that puts pressure on a chase, and England never got the chance to answer it.
That is the frustrating part for the hosts. Saqib Mahmood had pulled things back with 3 for 33, and England would have fancied their reply on a ground where chases are rarely out of reach. Instead the covers stayed on, the points were shared, and a strong Indian batting display went into the books as a no-result rather than a lead.
What Old Trafford asks of both sides
Manchester tends to play a little slower and lower than the grounds further south, and that shapes how both attacks will approach the game. India’s spinners could become the difference if the surface grips, and the visitors have the option to lean on their slower bowlers rather than rely purely on pace. England, for their part, will want a full 20 overs to show their own top order can match the tempo Abhishek set in Durham.
Iyer’s side has a settled look about it at the top, and the captain’s own form is a quiet plus for a batting group still finding its rhythm on this tour. With four matches left after the washout, there is plenty of series to play for, but momentum matters in a short format, and India will want to bank a result before the schedule tightens.
A packed run-in
The Old Trafford game is the second of five, with the series then heading to Nottingham, Bristol and Southampton across the following week. That leaves little room to drift. A washed-out opener means the first team to string performances together can take control quickly, and both dressing rooms know it.
The 2nd T20I gets under way at 2:30pm local time, 7:00pm in India. If the skies stay clear, the contest India were denied in Durham finally gets its full airing.