India win by 17 runs
India put themselves on the front foot in this multi-format series with a 2-1 win in the T20 series. They batted very well and set a strong total to put the pressure on Australia, setting a very tricky chase for the home team. However, Australia are a team that are capable of chasing big totals, so the bowling also had to be good to secure the win.
Shreyanka Patil was incredibly impressive, taking the wickets of Voll, Perry and Sutherland to halt the chase in its tracks and keep on amping up the pressure for Australia. Aside from Gardner, none of the Australians managed a big score and Litchfield losing her wicket going for the switch hit two balls in a row stands out as a turning point of the match in hindsight.
This T20 series was an opportunity for Molineux to put her stamp on the team as captain and she will be disappointed with how it played out. The field placings did not seem to be working for Australia tonight – countless chances went up in the air and landed in empty grass without a fielder close by. In contrast, Harmanpreet seemed to have her field placed exactly where she wanted it and plenty of catches went to hand – especially early in Australia’s innings when India needed to apply the pressure.
It was a fascinating series within a series and no doubt the next leg (three ODIs) will provide just as much entertainment! But for the T20s, that is all there is – a win for India and disappointment for Australia. The first ODI gets underway on Tuesday in Brisbane – make sure you join us for that one!
Thanks for your company throughout the T20s and I look forward to guiding you through another match very soon.
Player of the Match: Smriti Mandhana
For her superb 82, Smriti is the player of the match tonight and she’s very happy with the effort by the team.
“Beating Australia in Australia is something really special and I’m really glad I could contribute.”
It’s a well deserved honour for a player who was at her calm and controlled best tonight.
