Canberra, February 19 – Georgia Voll's career-best 88 and a record opening partnership with Beth Mooney, along with bowlers delivering a clinical death overs bowling display, helped Australia beat India by 19 runs in the second women's T20I at the Manuka Oval on Thursday.
The result, also the first T20I win for Sophie Molineux as the side's captain, meant Australia got their first points in the multi-format series and will aim to win the T20I series when the third game happens at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
Georgia and Beth put on 128 runs for the opening wicket – Australia's highest partnership against India in T20Is – as they posted 163/5. Georgia, batting with fluency and authority, scored 88 off 57 balls before being dismissed by seamer Arundhati Reddy in the 15th over. Beth contributed 46 and fell four runs short of a half-century, before also being dismissed by Arundhati, who finished with 2-30.
Australia's momentum changed dramatically after that opening stand, as from a commanding 128 for no loss in the 14th over, the hosts could only muster 49 more runs from their remaining 42 deliveries and lost five wickets in the process.
In reply, India's openers capitalized early, racing to 54 for no loss in the Power-play and threatening to make light of the target. But Australia fought back sharply, claiming all of India's top-order in a four-over burst that shifted the momentum decisively, as the visitors reached 71/3 at the halfway mark.
Harmanpreet Kaur and wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh steadied the innings with a 55-run partnership that kept India's hopes alive. But a pivotal moment came in the 17th over when Kim Garth, mixing her pace cleverly, produced a slower delivery to dismiss Harmanpreet for 36. From there, it triggered a dramatic collapse, as India lost their last six wickets for a mere seven runs.
Ashleigh Gardner was the pick of Australia's bowlers with 3-22. At the same time, Kim, Annabel Sutherland, and Sophie each claimed two wickets as Australia's attack used variations smartly to defend what had appeared to be a below-par total. For India, they will rue a succession of promising starts that went unconverted into a big knock.
Brief scores:
Australia 163/5 in 20 overs (Georgia Voll 88, Beth Mooney 46; Arundhati Reddy 2-30, Renuka Singh Thakur 1-27) beat India 144/9 in 20 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 36, Smriti Mandhana 31; Ashleigh Gardner 3-22, Annabel Sutherland 2-18) by 19 runs
