Australia Women roared back into contention in their T20I series against India with a convincing 19-run triumph in the second match at Canberra’s Manuka Oval. The hosts now stand level at 1-1 following India’s rain-affected win in the opener via DLS method on February 15 in Sydney. The decider looms on February 21 in Adelaide.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, India faced a formidable Australian batting display. Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney unleashed havoc with a 128-run opening stand in 14.5 overs. Mooney departed after a punchy 46 (39 balls, 4×4), but Voll anchored the innings with a brilliant 88 (57 balls, 11×4, 1×6). The middle order faltered, but 163/5 proved defendable. Arundhati Reddy snared 2 wickets for India.
India’s reply began brightly, with Shafali Verma (29 off 23, 5×4) and Smriti Mandhana (31 off 24) racing to 57 in powerplay overs. Three quick wickets reduced them to 71/3, testing the batting depth.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s gritty 36 and a 55-run stand with Richa Ghosh offered hope, lifting India to 126/3. Yet, the required rate mounted, and a procession of wickets followed. At 133/9, the chase derailed completely, ending at 144 all out.
Ashley Gardner’s 3-wicket haul headlined Australia’s bowling effort, complemented by two wickets each from Garth, Sutherland, and Molineux. Voll’s explosive knock and sharp bowling sealed a morale-boosting win, keeping the series alive and kicking.