The T20 series between England and Australia has ended as a stalemate after the third and final match at Old Trafford was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

The toss was delayed after heavy rain hit Manchester on Sunday afternoon, with the grim weather forecast forcing umpires to abandon the match at 4.20pm local time.

There was a brief period when the rain stopped, with groundstaff dragging the covers off the pitch and preparing the outfield for an inspection.

However, the drizzle returned moments before the scheduled pitch inspection, which proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

There would have been feelings of deja vu within the England camp — just over 12 months ago, Australia retained the coveted urn after the fourth Ashes Test at the same venue was drawn due to weather.

England vs Australia Series Ends 1-1

The T20 series ended as a 1-1 draw after Australia won the series opener in Southampton by 28 runs and England won the second match in Cardiff by three wickets.

“When you lose the first (match), you’re always under pressure,” England captain Phil Salt said during the post-series presentation.

“The message to the boys was when we get pushed back, we come back harder, and that’s what we did.

“Really pleased with the way we responded, just disappointed we couldn’t get on today.”

England’s Liam Livingstone was named player of the series after scoring 124 runs and taking five wickets across two matches.

“It would have been nice to finish off (the series) with a deciding match today,” Australian captain Mitchell Marsh said.

“We move on to the one-day series now.”

ODI Series Preview: England vs Australia

Attention turns towards the five-match ODI series between the two nations, which gets underway at Trent Bridge on Thursday at 9.30pm AEST.

Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell will join the Australian squad after being rested for the T20 leg of the United Kingdom tour, while superstars Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne also return for the ODIs.

Meanwhile, England white-ball captain Jos Butler has been ruled out of the ODI series against Australia, with Harry Brook set to lead the team in his absence.

What's Next for Both Teams?

The rain-affected series finale in Manchester was a disappointing end to an otherwise thrilling T20 series. Both England and Australia will now turn their attention towards the upcoming ODI series, which promises to be another fierce battle between these two cricketing giants.

England, despite the washout, will be encouraged by their ability to bounce back from their opening loss and secure a win in Cardiff. They will be looking to carry this momentum into the ODI series and target a series win on home soil. The return of Jofra Archer, subject to his fitness, could provide a significant boost to their pace attack, adding another dimension to their already potent bowling lineup.

Australia, on the other hand, will be looking to regroup and address the concerns in their bowling unit, which struggled for consistency throughout the T20 series. The return of experienced players like Starc, Maxwell, Smith, and Labuschagne will undoubtedly add depth and experience to their squad. The ODI series offers them a chance to redeem themselves and leave their mark on the tour of England.