INDW vs AUSW: 3rd T20I Review – Healy, Mooney star as Australia clinch T20I series
Australia women sealed the three-match series against India women as they beat them by seven wickets in the third T20I on Tuesday, January 09 at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai. After being put in to bat first, India were restricted to 147/6 in their allotted 20 overs as Annabel Sutherland (2/12) and Georgia Wareham (2/24) picked two wickets each. In reply, Australia chased down the target in 18.4 overs with captain Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney starring with the bat.
Openers Healy and Mooney walked out to bat and took the attack on the opposition right from the word go and got involved in a massive 85-run stand for the first wicket off 60 balls. Healy went on to score her 16th half century scoring 55 (38) with the help of nine fours and a six. On the other hand, Mooney scored her third T20I fifty and remained unbeaten on 52* off 45 taking Australia home in the penultimate over along with Phoebe Litchfield (17* off 13). As a result, Australia won the match by seven wickets and won the series 2-1.
Earlier in the day, after being put in to bat first, India got off to a brisk start as openers Shafali Verma (26 off 17) and Smriti Mandhana (29 off 28) added 39 runs for the first wicket off 28 balls. Their stand was broken as Megan Schutt dismissed Verma in the fifth over. Jemimah Rodrigues walked in at number three but failed to leave his mark getting dismissed for 2 (7) in the eighth over.
Richa Ghosh took India to a respectable total in the first innings
India further lost two more wickets in consecutive overs with Mandhana failing to convert her start while captain Harmanpreet Kaur (3 off 6) got dismissed cheaply leaving India on 66/4 after 9.5 overs. After a flurry of wickets, Richa Ghosh took the onus upon herself to take her team to a respectable total and played a good knock of 34 (28). Amanjot Kaur (17* off 14) and Pooja Vastrakar (7* off 2) also made valuable contributions as India finished their innings on 147/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
