Australian women showed their class by beating hosts India in the 4th T20I of tri-series played at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. Winning the toss, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur elected to field first. Despite picking 2 quick wickets, Beth Mooney and Villani put on 114 runs for the 3rd wicket, helping Australia to post 186 for 5 in 20 overs. Chasing 187, India lost important wickets in first six overs and never recovered.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to field first. Pooja Vastrkar got the important wicket of Healy in the second over. Gardner came and hit 17 runs off 10 balls before being dismissed by young Pooja. At the end of 6 overs, Australia posted 46 runs for 2 wickets. Beth Mooney and Villani played with positive intent putting pressure on the Indian bowlers.
Mooney completed her half-century off 34 balls while Villani reached her 50 off 35 balls. Villani was dismissed in the 16th over for well made 61 off 42 balls. Both Villani and Mooney added 114 runs for the 3rd wicket. Lanning and Haynes also contributed some runs. Australian women posted a competitive total of 186 for 5 in 50 overs.
That hat-trick feeling! 🙌 @megan_schutt #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/jTjSkAiQkM
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) March 26, 2018
Chasing 187, the Indian women’s team got off to a worse start losing the wickets of inform batter Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj in the 2nd over which put the hosts on backfoot. Megan Schutt dismissed Deepti Sharma to pick up a hattrick. At the end of 6 overs, India scored 35 for 3.
Rodrigues showed good intent and reached her first T20I fifty off 40 balls. The young Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur added 54 runs in 52 balls. Harmanpreet Kaur played some aggressive shots but could not help India to win the match. Anuja Patil and Vastrakar added 53 runs stand which was not enough to cross the target of 186. Australian women won the match by 36 runs.
No surprises here, Megan Schutt is player of the match! 🙌🙌 pic.twitter.com/5GHtSOv7Xj
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) March 26, 2018
Australian women 186 for 5 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 71, Villani 61, Vastrakar 2/28) beat
Indian women 150 for 5 in 20 overs ( Rodrigues 50, Anuja Patil 38*, Harmanpreet Kaur 33, Megan Schutt 3/31) by 36 runs.
With this loss, Indian women have been knocked out of the tri-series. Their last league of the tri-series will be against England on 29th March.