In a thrilling encounter at Manuka Oval in Canberra, Australia Women clinched a commanding 19-run victory over India Women in the second T20I on Thursday. This win leveled the three-match series at 1-1, setting the stage for a decisive third game in Adelaide on February 21.
Australia, sent in to bat after losing the toss, posted a challenging 163 for 5 in their 20 overs. The standout performance came from opener Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney, who forged a sensational 128-run partnership for the first wicket in just 14.5 overs. Mooney fell for a brisk 46 off 39 balls, featuring four boundaries, while Voll smashed a magnificent 88 off 57 deliveries, including 11 fours and a six.
Post the massive opening stand, Australia lost momentum as no significant partnerships followed. Ashley Gardner remained not out on 10. India’s Arundhati Reddy was the pick of the bowlers with 2 wickets, supported by Renuka Thakur’s solitary scalp.
Chasing 164, India started strongly with openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana adding 57 runs in 6.4 overs. Verma scored 29 off 23 balls with five fours, and Mandhana made 31 off 24. However, the innings crumbled to 71 for 3 soon after.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur fought valiantly, partnering with Richa Ghosh for 55 runs off 43 balls for the fourth wicket, pushing the score to 126. But the collapse was swift; India lost their fourth wicket at 126 in 16.5 overs and tumbled to 144 for 9. Kaur top-scored with 36, but it wasn’t enough.
Australia’s bowlers dominated the chase. Ashley Gardner claimed 3 wickets, while Kim Garth, Annabelle Sutherland, and Sophie Molineux took 2 each. With the series poised evenly, fans eagerly await the finale in Adelaide.