Australia seal T20 series with a win
CHANDIGARH: Playing in a must-win game in a series being decided across the three formats, defending their modest 118 against top chasers Australia required an exemplary bowling performance in the second T20 at the Carrara Oval on Saturday.
On a pitch where the home spinners found purchase, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur misread the conditions and didn’t bowl her’s and off-spinner Deepti Sharma’s full quota of overs, preferring the quickies. Playing to their strength, Beth Mooney (34) and Tahila Mcgrath (42*) set up Australia’s four-wicket win with five balls to spare.
The victory extended the domination of Australia women in T20 cricket as they clinched the multi-format series 9-5 on points with one T20 tie left.
It would have been an easy win for Australia if India No. 8 Pooja Vastrakar had not scored a 26-ball unbeaten 37, including two sixes, to prop up India’s batting.
At one stage, India were reeling at 81/9. India had lost openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana by the third over with just 12 runs on the board. Generating pace, the tall Tayla Vlaeminck troubled the Indian openers.
Jemimah Rodrigues, who hit 49 not out in the first T20 that was washed out, could not carry forward the fine form, falling to left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux for seven. Kaur played some firm shots in a brisk 28 off 20 balls to take India to 50. Just when she was looking good, legspinner Georgia Wareham beat her in the air to be stumped by Alyssa Healy, reducing India to 50/4.
Left-handed batter Yastika Bhatia was run out following a mix up with Richa Ghosh. Healy ran her out after Wareham’s throw from extra cover caught Bhatia short of the crease. India caved in from 52/5 to 81/9 with Ghosh, Sharma, Shikha Pandey and Renuka Thakur all gone in no time before Vastrakar’s effort.
India had a top-notch start with the ball, Shikha Pandey bowling a classic in-swinger to hit Healy’s off-stump with the second ball of the innings. Skipper Meg Lanning and opener Beth Mooney dealt with the Indian bowlers well after that. Bowling in her second game, medium-pacer Thakur kept a tight line and length to frustrate the batters. They added 31 runs for the second wicket before left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad found Lanning’s edge to be caught behind by Ghosh.
In the next over, Kaur scalped Ashleigh Gardner to get India back in the game while the consistent Mooney kept scoring. Ellyse Perry perished for two, falling to Sharma. With Australia 46/4 and Mcgrath in the middle with Mooney, the hosts were in some bother as the wicket was a bit difficult to bat on. Mooney kept the pressure at bay with singles and twos and hit four fours in her 36-ball 34. She was out Gayakwad when Ghosh accidentally stumped her after the ball bounced off her gloves on to the stumps.
Mcgrath, dropped on five, then took the centre stage and with Wareham took the hosts to victory. She finished on a 33-ball 42. Pandey and Thakur leaked runs in the death overs. Kaur and Sharma, who bowled two overs each, probably could have had more impact bowling the late overs. Gayakwad grabbed three wickets.
Skipper Kaur blamed the dew on the pitch, which she said made it difficult for the spinners and the quick bowlers then didn’t deliver. “There was dew on the ground when we were bowling. The spinners were not able to grip the ball properly. So, medium-pacers were given the bowling in the death overs. Unfortunately, they did not bowl to the plans and gave away runs. If we had 20 more runs, we could have put more pressure on Australia.”