Guided by Titas Sadhu‘s career-best figures of 4 for 17, India efficiently restricted Australia to a modest 141. The opening duo of Smriti Mandhana (54) and Shafali Verma (64 not out off 44 balls) then unleashed a spectacular assault on the guests, forging a formidable 137-run partnership on the DY Patil Stadium.
Regardless of lacking the final two ODIs towards Australia, Shafali showcased her prowess, attaining her fifth T20I half-century. Her innings included six fours and three sixes, displaying authoritative strokes throughout the bottom.
Mandhana, too, exhibited her batting prowess, notching her twenty seventh total fifty and seventh towards Australia. Her innings, adorned with seven fours and a six, contributed considerably to India’s commanding efficiency.
The openers solely parted methods after they have been on the verge of securing victory, leaving an indelible mark with India’s second-best stand for the primary wicket. The match concluded in 17.4 overs, marking India’s most largest win over Australia when it comes to wickets.
This victory additionally marked solely the third occasion of Australia dropping a T20I by such a margin.
Placing their finest fielding effort throughout all matches this residence season, India not solely confirmed outstanding enchancment however remained scientific all through to not permit Australia even a sniff.
Sadhu was not the one Indian to benefit from the excessive of a person milestone – for she produced the second-best figures for any Indian bowler in T20Is towards Australia after Jhulan Goswami‘s 5 for 11 over a decade in the past.
Mandhana grew to become solely the second Indian batter after skipper Harmanpreet Kaur – and sixth total in girls’s T20Is – to have crossed the three,000-run mark.
The victory at first of this three-match rubber additionally units up India Ladies completely to have a crack at a sequence win – one thing they’ve by no means performed at residence towards Australia.
For that matter, India have solely overwhelmed Australia as soon as in a bilateral T20I sequence, rising a 2-1 winner on their 2015-16 tour.
Chasing a modest 142, India made fairly an eccentric begin, logging in 14 runs within the first over however none coming off the bat.
Australian seamer Darcie Brown peppered most of her deliveries down the leg, with two brushing Mandhana’s pads to run down the boundary ropes whereas one beating everybody on its manner for 4 byes.
Shafali immaculately cracked a 4 by way of cowl off Megan Schutt off the primary ball she confronted.
Mandhana too cashed in on a brief ball from Annabel Sutherland to smack it over midwicket for the primary six of the innings to get going.
Earlier, Sadhu’s four-for was complemented properly by Deepti Sharma’s 2/24 and Shreyanka Patil 2/19 as India restricted Aussies to a below-par complete.
Whereas Sadhu rocked Australia with a three-wicket opening burst, Phoebe Litchfield (49) and Ellyse Perry (37) led the fightback for the guests with a 79-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Nonetheless, Australia, who misplaced wickets in clusters on both aspect of that stand, have been bowled out in 19.2 overs.
Sadhu returned 3-0-8-3 in her first spell within the powerplay, accounting for Beth Mooney (17), Tahlia McGrath (0) and Ashleigh Gardner (0).
The 19-year-old right-arm pacer then returned for her last over — 18th of the innings — and located additional success dismissing Annabel Sutherland (12) for her fourth scalp.
Having topped the batting chart within the ODIs, the left-handed Litchfield carried her type into the shortest format however fell wanting a fifty. She smoked three sixes and 4 fours to make 49 from 32 balls.
Perry struck two fours and as many sixes to make 37 off 30 balls and was one of many two dismissals for Deepti, who confirmed nice management.
The one blip for India, nonetheless, got here within the twelfth over when a mistimed reverse-sweep off Litchfield’s bat fell between Renuka Singh Thakur and Jemimah Rodrigues with each the fielders ending up one another.
(With PTI Inputs)
