Mithali helps India A take 2-0 lead

Veteran opener Mithali Raj scored a majestic hundred to fashion India A’s 28-run win over Australia A in the second match of three-match T20 series at the BKC ground here on Wednesday. With this victory, the hosts also clinched the series having won the first game by four wickets.

After electing to bat first, India A were reduced to 66 for 4 in the 9th over before Mithali found an able ally in skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and the duo together turned the match on its head with a rollicking 85-run stand in only 51 balls. Harmanpreet finally perished having made a brilliant 57 off 32 balls.

Mithali, though, continued to torment Australian bowlers and reached her hundred in the last over.

Her unbeaten knock of 105 came in 61 balls and featured 18 fours and one maximum.

Mithali recorded the highest score by an Indian woman in T20 bettering Smriti Mandhana’s score of 102.

In reply, Australia A started well with Tahlia McGrath (47, 29b) and Josephine Dooley adding 61 in first seven overs before McGrath was stumped by Taniya Bhatia off Poonam Yadav.

With her dismissal, Australian innings lost its steam as wickets fell at regular interval for the visitors. In the end, they could muster only 156/9. Yadav, Anuja Patil and Deepti Sharma claimed two wickets apiece for the hosts.

The third and final match of the series, which serves as a preparatory event for next month’s ICC Women’s World T20 in the Caribbean Islands, will be played on Friday.

MUMBAI:

Brief scores: India A 184 for 5 in 20 overs (M Raj 105*, H Kaur 57; T McGrath 2/36) bt Australia A 156 for 9 in 20 overs (T McGrath 47, H Graham 24; P Yadav 2/19, A Patil 2/31) by 28 runs