Indian eves seal T20I series against Australia: Having won the first of the three-match T20I series at Adelaide, the Indian eves took on their Australian counterpart for a second time at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Weather playing spoilsport, the match had a delayed start and was reduced to an 18-over affair.
Team India, led by Mithali Raj, won the toss and put in Australia to bat.
Right-arm medium pacer, Jhulan Goswami was bang pn target from the word ‘GO’. She was successful in removing both the openers, Grace Harris (0) and Beth Mooney (10) early on in the innings, reducing the Australians to 28/2 in 4.1 overs.
A 70-run partnership in 8.3 overs between the skipper, Meg Lanning and Jess Jonassen (27) brought the three-digit score. Lanning, after putting up a well made 49 runs in just 39 deliveries with 3 fours and 2 sixes, departed at the team score of 103/4 in 13.2 overs. Jonassen departed after a couple of runs later.
Australia’s 50 runs came in at ‘a run a ball’ and the century came in 79 delveries.
Alex Blackwell (12) ‘held on fort’ till the 18th over and remained unbeaten, as Australia ended their innings at 125 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in 18 overs.
Jhulan Goswami (4-0-16-2) who was responsible for giving a great start to Team India was ably supported by the left-arm spinner, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who also picked up 2 wickets in her spell of 4 overs, giving away 27 runs.
Needing 126 runs for a win, India started the chase very well, with skipper, Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana.
Rain again interrupted and the play was stopped after the fifth delivery of the 8th over was bowled by Holly Ferling. The Indian score board at that point read 52 for no loss, with Raj on 27* and Mandhana on 15*.
India’s 50 runs came in 45 deliveries, just before the rain interruption.
They needed another 74 runs from 61 deliveries to wrap up the match.
However, Duckworth-Lewis method came into play and the target was revised to 66 runs in 10 overs. Hence Indian women needed just another 14 runs from 13 deliveries.
On the match recommencing after the rain-break, the Indian duo achieved the target with five deliveries to spare. Mithali remained unbeaten on 37* runs off 32 deliveries with 6 fours while Smriti was unbeaten on 22* runs off 24 deliveries with 3 hits to the fence.
Jhulan Goswami, who paved the way for an Indian victory with a fine bowling display, was adjudged the Player of the Match.
With this win Team India lead 2-0 in the 3-match series and have, for all technical purposes, won the same.
The Indian eves take on their Aussie counterpart in the third and final T20I at Sydney on 31st January, 2016.
