Australia retained their 1-0 series lead over India after the second Twenty20 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was abandoned.

The hosts, who prevailed in a rain-affected series opener in Brisbane, reached 132 for seven after 19 overs before the heavens opened.

It rained intermittently thereafter, thwarting attempts to get back onto the field and denying India the chance to square the series ahead of Sunday’s decider in Sydney.

After electing to field first, India had made significant inroads as Australia slumped to 62 for five just after the halfway stage.

Limited-overs captain Aaron Finch departed for a golden duck after edging behind off Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Australia lost wickets at regular intervals to undermine their hopes of setting a challenging total.

Ben McDermott crunched two fours and a six in his 32 not out from 30 deliveries but it mattered little as rain had the final say with six balls still remaining in Australia’s innings.