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Harmanpreet Kaur-led India lost yet another final to Australia. In the decider of three-T20I series, Annabel Sutherland's economical spell followed by half-centuries from captain Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney led the visitors to a seven-wicket win with eight balls to spare.
Healy won the toss and opted to field first. India got off to a decent start but lost Shafali Verma for a 17-ball 26 in the fifth over. Megan Schutt got the breakthrough. After Shafali's wicket, Smriti Mandhana accelerated and took India's score past 50 in six overs. Australian bowlers came back well and reduced India to 66/4 after 10 overs. First Sutherland got the wicket of Jemimah Rodrigues in the eighth over. Georgia Wareham in her first over dismissed Mandhana who scored 29 runs from 28 balls. Skipper Harmanpreet's rough patch continued as she got bowled by Sutherland for yet another single-digit score.
Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh helped India recover but the all-rounder lost her wicket to Wareham in the 15th over. She managed to score 14 runs from 18 balls. Ghosh shifted gears in the slog overs. She hit Schutt and Wareham for one four and six each. Sutherland finished with a two-run over. She conceded 12 runs from her quota of four overs and picked up a couple of wickets. In the final over, Ghosh lost her wicket to Ashleigh Gardner's first ball. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 34 runs from 28 balls including a couple of fours and three sixes. But India finished well as Amanjot Kaur hit a four and Pooja Vastrakar hit a six off the final ball. India posted 147/6 on the board.
Healy and Mooney were cautious in the first three overs. In the fourth over, Healy targetted teenager Titas Sadhu and hit three boundaries. In the next over, Healy smashed Renuka Singh for a sing and two fours. Australia were 54 for no loss after powerplay overs. In the next over, Vastrakar almost got the better of Healy but Rodrigues took the catch on the bounce. Healy reached her 16th T20I fifty from 34 balls in the ninth over. Deepti got the breakthrough right at the halfway stage. The wicketkeeper-batter got out lbw trying to play a reverse sweep. Her 38-ball 55 included nine fours and a six.
While Mooney anchored the run chase, Tahlia McGrath hit a few boundaries to keep the pressure on Indian bowlers. Vastrakar came back into the attack and her double blow brought India back in the match. First McGrath was caught at mid-on, then Perry got out lbw for a golden duck and wasted a review as well. In-form Phoebe Litchfield went after Shreyanka Patil once again to make it easy for the visitors. In the penultimate over, Mooney hit two fours to complete her half-century and take Australia over the line with eight balls to spare. Her 45-ball 52 included five boundaries. On the other hand, Litchfield remained unbeaten for 17 off 13 balls.
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