Indian eves fail to effect a whitewash in the T20I series against Australia: Having pocketed the three-match series at Melbourne, the Indian eves fell short of effecting a complete ‘whitewash’ of their Australian counterpart in the T20I.
Taking on the Aussies in the third and final encounter at Sydney, the Indians fell short of the target by 16 runs.
Winning the toss and electing to field, Team India had a great start when their frontline bowler, Jhulan Goswami, struck in the very first delivery of the match, removing the wicket-keeper-opener, Alyssa Healey.
A second-wicket partnership of 49 runs in 7.3 overs between the Aussie skipper, Meg Lanning and Beth Mooney brought some kind of stability to the innings. Lanning departed after scoring 26 runs off 25 deliveries with a four and a couple of sixes.
Ellyse Perry joined Mooney in the middle and the duo stayed together for 26 runs in 5 overs, when Mooney fell, after scoring 34 runs at ‘run-a-ball’ with 3 hits to the fence.
Perry, not getting much of a support from other batswomen, put up a lone fight and remained unbeaten till the end of 20 overs. She scored 55* runs off just 41 deliveries studded with 4 fours and 3 sixes. Her maiden T20I half-century came in 41 deliveries. In fact she reached the landmark with a six, moving from 49 to 55.
Australia’s half-century came in 7.5 overs while the century came in 16.2 overs.
Aussie eves ended their innings with 136 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 20 overs.
The target of 137 runs was not a tough one, given the batting depth the Indians had.
The openers, Mithali Raj and Vellaswamy Vanitha gave a reasonably good start putting up 33 runs for the first wicket in 4.4 overs, when Raj ‘played on’ a Rene Farrell to her stumps.
Vanitha, who was joined by Veda Krishnamurthy in the middle added another 17 runs in 3.2 overs and departed after contributing a 25-ball 28 runs with three fours and a six.
Veda stayed on for another 2.4 overs and, after scoring 21 runs off equal number of deliveries with a four and a six, departed being caught at backward point trying to go for another big hit.
The last recognised batting pair of Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana held on for another 2.5 overs adding 27 runs to the team’s tally. Kaur scored 24 runs off 17 deliveries with a four and a couple of sixes.
The lower order batswomen unable to contribute much, the Indian innings got over with 121 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in 20 overs. India’s half-century came in 7.4 pvers while the 100 came in 15 overs.
Ellyse Perry caused the maximum damage, picking up the wickets of Kaur (24), Mandhana (14), Anuja Patil (3) and Jhulan Goswami (1) in her spell of 4 overs, giving away only 12 runs. She was ably supported by Rene Farrell, who claimed 2 wickets off her 4 overs, giving away18 runs.
Australia won the match by a margin of 15 runs and ended the series 1-2 in favour of India.
For her unbeaten maiden half-century and a four-wicket haul, Perry was adjudged the Player of the Match.
India’s Jhulan Goswami was awarded the Player of the Series.