T20 First Innings
India Women Score – 130/8 in 20.0 overs
India Women batting performance
Deepti Sharma 30(27)
Richa Ghosh 23(19)
Australia Women bowling performance
Georgia Wareham 4-17-2
Annabel Sutherland 4-18-2
T20 Second Innings
Australia Women Score – 133/4 in 19.0 overs
Australia Women batting performance
Ellyse Perry 34(21)
Alyssa Healy 26(21)
India Women bowling performance
Deepti Sharma 4-22-2
Pooja Vastrakar 2-8-1
The Australian women’s team, after a brilliant bowling performance, brought the Sunday T20 match to an exciting tie against India, winning by six wickets with Ellyse Perry’s unbeaten 34 runs off 21 balls. Unfortunately, Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma couldn’t make a significant impact, playing a brief 30-run inning initially but losing her wicket after scoring 22 runs and taking two wickets.
Despite the opportunity to bat at the Devi Patil Stadium, the Indian batswomen couldn’t convert the start into a substantial score, leading the host team to manage only 130 runs for eight wickets.
Australia successfully chased the target, scoring 133 runs for four wickets in 19 overs. In the last two overs, Australia needed 15 runs for victory. Phoebe Litchfield (unbeaten 18 runs in 12 balls, including three boundaries) dashed India’s hopes by hitting two boundaries in the first three balls faced by Shreyanka Patil. Ellyse Perry, playing her 300th international match in all formats, anchored the innings with three boundaries and two sixes in her unbeaten knock. She sealed the victory with a six on the last ball of the 19th over, securing a win for the team with one over remaining.
Elisa Healy (26) and Beth Mooney (20) provided a solid start for Australia, forming a 51-run partnership for the first wicket. Deepti Sharma dismissed both these batters. Tahlia McGrath scored 19 runs in 21 balls before getting out on Patil’s delivery. Ashley Gardner managed to score only seven runs. After that, Perry and Litchfield guided the team to victory.
Before Australia’s innings, Kim Garth made early breakthroughs, dismissing Shafali Verma (01) and ending Rodriguez’s innings. In the first match, the Indian team scored approximately 10 runs per over in the powerplay. However, on Sunday, they could only manage 33 runs for the loss of two wickets. Smriti Mandhana (23), Richa Ghosh (23), and Jemimah Rodrigues (13) made promising starts but couldn’t play big innings, and Australia kept building pressure by taking wickets at regular intervals. Despite the wickets falling, Deepti Sharma’s quick 30 runs in 27 balls brought India close to a respectable score.
For Australia, Kim Garth made early breakthroughs, dismissing Shafali Verma (01) and ending Rodrigues’s innings. In the same over, Mandhana became the victim of a spectacular catch by Ellyse Perry at deep midwicket. India was in trouble, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (six runs in 12 balls) couldn’t show her batting prowess. The team needed a player to stay at the crease for a comeback, and Harmanpreet had a good opportunity, but she got out attempting her favorite sweep shot.
In the same over, Richa Ghosh hit a huge six against Gardner, but she also missed the chance to build a big score. She got caught on a slow delivery from Georgia Wareham. Australia appealed for a catch, but the on-field umpire rejected it. Even Wareham felt that the ball had hit the ground, but captain Ellyse Healy took the DRS (Decision Review System) and won the appeal for the guest team.
Wareham then dismissed Pooja Vastrakar (09) to claim her second wicket. She managed to take two wickets by giving away 17 runs in four overs. This time both the bowler and captain made a correct DRS appeal. Sadarland took Amanjot Kaur’s wicket, securing her second victim by conceding 18 runs and taking two wickets.
In the end, despite efforts from Smriti Mandhana, who scored a quick 23 runs, and Richa Ghosh, India couldn’t post a challenging total. The Australian team, with effective bowling and crucial partnerships, successfully chased the target, setting the series at 1-1 in a thrilling encounter.