Australia defeated India by 19 runs in the second match in Canberra on Thursday to tie a three-match T20I series, thanks to a record opening stand between Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney.
Australia’s best opening partnership against India in Twenty20 Internationals was achieved by Voll and Mooney, who combined for 128 runs for the first wicket. The hosts scored 163/5.
India got off to a brilliant start in the chase but ultimately collapsed to finish at 144 for nine. Kim Garth, Annabel Sutherland, and Australia’s captain Sophie Molineux each collected two wickets, while Ashleigh Gardner claimed 3/22.
The Adelaide Oval will host the third Twenty20 International, which will decide the series on Saturday.
India’s decline started when they were 65/1 in the ninth over, and they ended up losing six wickets for seven runs.
India got off to a good start when Smriti Mandhana opened up after Shafali Verma’s early pyrotechnics. The team got on track to pursue after the two Indian openers put on 54 in the powerplay.
But Molineux pinned Shafali leg-before for a 23-ball 29 (5 fours), and Gardner took Jemimah Rodrigues’ crucial wicket (4). After taking two wickets in a row, India’s run-rate decreased. Soon after, a third was taken when Mooney caught Mandhana off Garth down the leg side.
Harmanpreet Kaur (30) and Richa Ghosh (19) joined forces after India was struggling at 71/3, and they did a good job of adding 55 runs for the fourth wicket. But the asking rate continued to rise, forcing the Indians to take unwarranted risks. On the penultimate ball of the 17th over at extra cover, Harmanpreet was caught by her rival Molineux off Garth, and three balls later, Ghosh was stumped off Gardner.
When Gardner had Deepti Sharma (0) caught by Sutherland in the 18th over, India’s prospects took yet another serious hit, falling to 128/6.
Earlier, Australia’s best-ever opening partnership of 128 runs was achieved by Voll (88) and Mooney (46), as the hosts scored 163/5.
Arundhati Reddy once again produced the goods, dismissing both Australian openers to return 4-0-30-2 after witnessing a catch being dropped off her last ball of the innings off Ashleigh Gardner (10 not out).
Alyssa Healy and Mooney’s 115-run first-wicket partnership in March 2020 at Melbourne was surpassed by Voll and Mooney in Australia’s women’s Twenty20 International match against India. The senior pro Mooney played a beautiful second violin but narrowly missed her milestone because Voll, who is right-handed, took the lead in scoring right away.
Voll scored 88 off just 57 balls by hitting 11 fours and one six off some errant bowling from the Indians. To earn her runs, she used a variety of strokes on either side of the wickets and carefully selected gaps.
On the final ball of the fifteenth over, Shafali Verma caught Mooney off Arundhati at mid-on. The left-handed opening batswoman knocked down 46 runs off 39 balls, hitting four fours.
