The Indian women’s cricket squad scripted history by defeating Australia 2-1 in a T20I series on their home turf, ending a 10-year drought for such a feat. This pulsating victory in the final match at Adelaide Oval underscores the team’s growing prowess in limited-overs cricket abroad.
Batting first, India racked up 176/6, powered by captain Smriti Mandhana’s masterful 82-run essay laced with 8 fours and 3 sixes off 55 deliveries. Jemimah Rodrigues chipped in with a brisk 59, ensuring a competitive total.
In reply, Australia managed only 159/9 despite Ashley Gardner’s gritty 57 featuring 6 boundaries. India’s spin duo, Shreyanka Patil and Sree Charani, excelled with identical hauls of 3/xx each, defending the total with aplomb.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia celebrated the win on X: ‘Outstanding performance by India in clinching the T20 series 2-1. Great start to the multi-format series in Australia. Keep it up for the ODIs.’
The series narrative was edge-of-the-seat: a DLS-aided 21-run win in the first game, followed by a 19-run defeat in the second. Annabel Sutherland’s 4 wickets kept Australia in the hunt briefly.
Phoebe Litchfield added 26 for the hosts, but tight Indian fielding and bowling variations sealed the deal. With ODIs lined up from February 24, this series win signals India’s readiness to upset the world champions on their patch, echoing their rare successes from a decade ago.