Team India’s aspirations for white-ball success took another hit as they faltered to a 7-wicket defeat in the T20 series decider against the formidable Australian women’s team in Navi Mumbai on January 9. Following a promising start to the series, Indian batters found themselves struggling, contributing to back-to-back setbacks in the final two games of the T20I contest.
The crucial match saw initial promise with Indian openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana at the crease, driving the score to a respectable 51/1 after six overs. However, the hopes for a substantial total were soon dashed as both openers departed to the Australian attack. Verma’s 26-run stint was truncated by Megan Schutt’s precision, while Mandhana’s spirited boundary hitting spree came to an end as well, setting off a concerning collapse of the Indian batting order.
The procession of wickets included a significant spell by Annabel Sutherland, who claimed the scalp of Jemimah Rodrigues on the final ball of the eighth over. Sutherland’s momentum continued, obliterating the stumps of India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur, leaving the team in dire straits at 66/4. Georgia Wareham also joined in, seizing the crucial wicket of Mandhana, further intensifying India’s predicament.
Despite the mounting pressure, Richa Ghosh displayed a valiant counter-attacking innings, contributing a quickfire 34. Accompanied by useful cameos from Amanjot Kaur and Pooja Vastrakar, India strived to salvage the innings, ultimately assembling a defense of 147 runs. However, against a confident Australian lineup, the target seemed an uphill task.
Australia’s response was spearheaded with violent efficiency by opener Alyssa Healy. Her scorching 34-ball half-century set the stage for a dominant powerplay, positioning Australia at a comfortable 54 without loss. The partnership between Healy and Beth Mooney burgeoned to 85 runs, decisively diminishing India’s chances of containment. Although Tahlia McGrath and Ellyse Perry succumbed to consecutive deliveries, Mooney’s unwavering presence at the crease signaled the end for India. Her composed batting ensured that Australia navigated to a 7-wicket victory with minimal drama.
The aftermath of this match leaves the Indian team with a lingering taste of disappointment from recent contests – a sequence that includes a 1-2 T20 series loss to England, a 0-3 whitewash in ODIs against Australia, and now this 1-2 T20 setback against the same opponents. With the T20 World Cup on the horizon in October-November, Amol Majumdar and his coaching staff are faced with impending strategic evaluation and player development concerns.
As India reflects on their performance, several noteworthy cricket updates parallel the unfolding narrative. South African speedster Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the SA20 due to injury, while former Indian medium-pacer Praveen Kumar addresses misconceptions surrounding his image. Meanwhile, in the ICC Test Rankings, Indian big names like Virat Kohli and Mohammad Siraj are rising, albeit with a fall for Babar Azam, and Rohit Sharma makes an impactful entry into the Top 10.
With a demanding schedule ahead, the Indian Women’s team aims to address the lacunae exposed in the recent T20I series. The lessons learned here, amid the echoes of cheering fans and clattering wickets, will be valuable as they overhaul their strategies in pursuit of World Cup glory.
