Sydney, February 15 India played a clinical game with both bat and ball, defeating Australia by nine wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in the first Women's T20 International, starting their tour in Australia on a resounding note here on Sunday.
Seamer Arundhati Reddy (4/22) led an excellent bowling display, dismissing Australia for 133.
The Indian bowlers were so effective that Australia were all out with two overs to spare.
In reply, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana remained unbeaten on 16 off 17 balls, with Jemimah Rodrigues supporting her, when the rain started, forcing an interruption.
Play could not resume, and India, who were 50 for one in 5.1 overs, were declared deserving winners. The DLS par score after 5.1 overs was 29.
Shafali Verma played her part before being dismissed by Australia's new captain Sophie Molineux, smashing her way to 21 off 11 balls.
Asked to bat first, Australia got off to a good start and reached 22 in 2.2 overs when Beth Mooney (5) got an edge while trying to loft a Renuka Singh delivery, but only managed to sky the ball for Smriti Mandhana to complete the catch at cover.
The other opener, Georgia Voll (18 off 10 balls) followed Mooney soon after, getting an edge while attempting a cut shot against a wide delivery by Kranti Gaud, and wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh finished the job comfortably.
Ellyse Perry (20 off 11 balls) and Phoebe Litchfield (26 off 19 balls) then put on a brisk 41-run partnership for the third wicket, but just when their partnership was threatening, Arundhati struck, thanks to some excellent work by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who ran back to cover a lot of ground and pulled off a brilliant catch diving sideways.
This was a major breakthrough for India, and they were in control as they took another two wickets in the form of Ashleigh Gardner (4) and Litchfield, reducing the hosts Australia to 80 for five at the start of the 10th over.
Georgia Wareham (30 off 19 balls) and Nicola Carey (12) added 41 runs for the sixth wicket, briefly halting India's momentum, before Wareham missed a poor delivery from Arundhati and was dismissed, and Carey was bowled by a quick delivery from Shree Charani while trying to play a cut shot.
Renuka then brilliantly stumped Annabel Sutherland by Ghosh, who quickly removed the bails.
Australia is beginning a new era with Sophie Molineux taking charge of the side after being appointed captain of the T20 team in January.
