Chester-le-Street, July 1 -- A blistering half-century from Abhishek Sharma and a steady anchoring knock by Shreyas Iyer powered India to a competitive total of 189/7 against England in the first T20I at the Riverside Ground on Wednesday.

However, the weather gods had the final say of the innings, as a sudden downpour forced the covers onto the field, delaying the start of England's run-chase.

Opting to bat first, India rolled with their established opening combination, leaving domestic sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to wait a bit longer for his highly anticipated international debut.

The decision initially seemed to backfire as India's top order collapsed under early pressure. Sanju Samson fell cheaply for just 1 run.

Ishan Kishan wa...