Opener Beth Mooney made short work of India’s 173-run target with a combative 57-ball 89 to lead the Australian women’s team to a convincing nine-wicket victory in the first T20 International here on Friday. Mooney hit 16 fours during her stay at center, helped by Tahlia McGrath’s unbeaten 29-ball 40, which included four boundaries and two sixes. Australia thus took a 1–0 lead in the five-game series. Earlier, veteran Deepti Sharma fired away to an unbeaten 15-ball 36 to take India to 172 for five.
Sharma broke four consecutive boundaries in the final bowled by Megan Schutt to increase India’s run rate after Richa Ghosh (36 from 20 balls) and returning Devika Vaidya (25 from 24) added 56 runs for the fifth wicket.
Chasing a solid target, the formidable Australian opening pair of skipper Alyssa Healy and Mooney gave Australia the start it needed, with 73 runs in just under nine overs.
Healy and Mooney played some beautiful shots during their scintillating partnership to put pressure on the Indian bowlers.
Making matters worse was a lost fly by Radha Yadav to a back run by Renuka Singh giving Mooney a life when the batsman was on 4. Average pace Renuka was then hit three consecutive fours by Mooney, even as her captain finished the first six of the Australian innings.
As if the missed catch wasn’t enough, India’s overall fieldwork was poor.
Vaidya, who played her first T20I since her debut in 2014, made the first breakthrough when she let Harmanpreet catch Healy.
Skipper’s loss, for a 23-ball 37, failed to disrupt Australia’s momentum as Mooney found a capable ally in Tahlia McGrath. It was all but over for India after Mooney took 18 runs in the 15th over to cut the equation from 55 runs off 36 balls to just 37 runs in the last five overs.
Earlier, Sharma hit eight boundaries in her blistering knock, while Ghosh found the fence five times and cleared twice.
India got off to a flying start with teenager Shafali Verma crushing Megan Schutt for a four and a six over long-on in the first over to bring in 12 runs.
Seasoned Smriti Mandhana (28 off 22 balls) chopped off debutant Kim Garth for a four, before Shafali hacked offside Ellyse Perry for her second maximum, a ball after an inside edge going past the keeper for a boundary.
However, Perry retaliated when she cramped Shafali for leg-side space and the batter eventually flied out to skipper Alyssa Perry. This was the fourth time that Perry dismissed the 18-year old Indian power-hitter.
Mandhana, who has a fine record against the Australians, showed her class as she scored four boundaries off Garth, the flurry of fours propelling India to 45 for one on just four overs.
The 17-run fourth over was followed by the wicket of Jemimah Rodrigues, who succumbed to pressure after four punts from Perry, the batter’s mistimed pull ending up in the hands of Annabel Sutherland.
Schutt was brought back on a wicket maiden by Perry, and she gave up just three runs to hold India at 48 for two at the end of the six power play overs at DY Patil Stadium.
Healy introduced Ashleigh Gardner’s off-spin bowling, and Harmanpreet Kaur (21 of 23) propelled her through coverings for her first boundary.
Healy made another bowling change and it worked, as Sutherland had the well set Mandhana caught by Mooney in a rather soft dismissal.
After a few quiet overs, Harmanpreet pulled Sutherland to a welcome frontier.
Garth, however, had Harmanpreet’s prized scalp – her first for Australia after representing Ireland for ten years – when the Indian captain played away from her body and slammed it straight to the fielder in cover.
The duo of Ghosh and Vaidya then took over. PTI AH AH SSC SSC
Featured video of the day
Captain Rohit Sharma under scanner after India’s loss to Bangladesh
Topics mentioned in this article