Skipper Alyssa Healy’s 55 and a joint effort by the bowlers saw Australia women beat India in the third T20I by seven wickets on Tuesday (Jan 9) to clinch the series 2-1. Chasing a modest 148, Australia were never in trouble as Healy added 85 runs with Beth Mooney for the first wicket to kill any chance India had in Mumbai. Mooney, who remained not out on 52, then guided Australia home despite Pooja Vastrakar’s twin strikes in the 16th over.

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Australia won the toss earlier in the day and elected to field first at the DY Patil Stadium. India were off to flyer as openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana added quick 39 runs for the first wicket in just 4.3 overs. Megan Schutt then took Verma out on 26 to give India first jolt. 

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The hosts lost the track of their innings after losing next three wickets in Jemimah Rodrigues (2), Mandhana (29) and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (3) for just 27 runs to find themselves four down at the halfway mark. Richa Ghosh (34), Deepti Sharma (14) and Amanjot Kaur (17 not out) then provided India with something to defend as India finished on 147/6 in 20 overs.

For Australia, Annabel Sutherland and Georgia Wareham took two wickets each while Ashleigh Gardner and Schutt picked one each. 

India could never build any pressure on the visitors with the bowl and Vastrakar’s strikes also came in late in the match with Australia needing only 31 needed to win in five overs. Apart from Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma took the remaining one wicket of the Aussie line-up.

Speaking after the win, Mooney said: “Our bowlers did a fantastic job. We certainly have one eye on the World Cup in Bangladesh. We just wanted to understand the conditions at DY, it’s a tough one. Lucky that coin went in our side.”

With the victory, Australia’s tour of India came to and end on which they lost the only Test but won both ODI and T20I series.

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