Melbourne: Incessant showers cast a shadow on the much-anticipated T20 World Cup clash between Australia and England as covers remained on the outfield, delaying the toss here on Friday. The first match of the Friday double-header at the Melbourne Cricket Ground between Ireland and Afghanistan earlier in the day was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Read: Akanksha Vyavahare creates weightlifting national record in 40kg category at Khelo India
The MCG wore a drenched look with the pitch remaining under wraps, as the players were forced to play a waiting game out on sidelines. The cut-off time for the match to happen in a minimum five-overs-a-side is 9.46pm.
With both teams suffering a reversal each, it's a virtual knockout for the two Ashes rivals.
Having opened their campaign with a shocking 89-run loss to their trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand, defending champions have bounced back to defeat Sri Lanka in their second Super 12 match. England, who started off with a win over Afghanistan, were done in by rain and suffered a heartbreaking five-run loss to Ireland by Duckworth-Lewis Method in their previous match.
