Harmanpreet Kaur-led India have ended Australia’s dominating run in T20Is in 2022 with a thrilling win in the super over to level the five-T20I series 1-1. After Smriti Mandhana’s 49-ball 79 which set the tone, Richa Ghosh and Devika Vaidya’s cameos helped level the scores and take the game into super over. Richa and Mandhana smashed boundaries again and helped India beat the T20 World Champions and end their long-running win streak of 16 T20Is.
Super over drama
Richa and Mandhana walked out to bat against Graham Heather. Richa started off with a huge six over long-on and got out off the next delivery. Harmanpreet guided the ball towards the point to scamper a single. Mandhana followed it up with a lofted shot over point for a boundary and a six-wide of long-off. Smriti went for another big shot but got three runs as India scored 20 runs in the super over.
Harmanpreet gave Renuka Singh the ball to defend 20 runs. Skipper Alyssa Healy started off with a four-over mid-off. Two runs were taken off the next delivery. Healy went for a big shot again but this time found Radha Yadav at the boundary. 11 runs were scored off the last three balls but they still fell short of the target and lost the super over by four runs. 
India’s run chase 
The Indian openers started off the run chase with intent. After the powerplay overs, the scoreboard read 55 for no loss. In the ninth over, Alana King got the breakthrough with the wicket of Shafali. The teenager scored 34 runs from 23 deliveries including four fours and one six. They shared a 76-run partnership.
Jemimah Rodrigues failed to make a mark and scored four runs from four deliveries. Mandhana took on Alana in the 13th over and got to her half-century with a boundary. Harmanpreet could not match Smriti's scoring rate and became Graham's first victim of the innings. The skipper scored 21 runs from 22 deliveries. Annabel Sutherland was given her first over in the 17th over. She got hit for a six but got the wicket of Mandhana. The opener smashed nine fours and four sixes in her 49-ball 79.
With 32 runs needed off the last three overs, Richa revived the run chase with two sixes off Ashleigh Gardner. In the penultimate over, Graham got Deepti's wicket and conceded just four runs. 14 runs were needed off the last over. Richa could not do much damage but Devika Vaidya found two boundaries to take the game to super over as Megan Schutt erred with her lines. Devika scored 11 runs from five deliveries. Richa remained unbeaten for 26 balls from 13 deliveries including three sixes.
Record-breaking partnership
Earlier, Harmanpreet won the toss and opted to field first. Skipper Alyssa Healy attacked in the powerplay overs. Off-spinner Deepti broke the opening partnership in the fourth over. Healy scored 25 runs from 15 deliveries including five boundaries.
Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath launched a brutal onslaught once they got settled in the middle. In the 15th over, McGrath got to her half-century in the 15th over. In the next over, Mooney got to her half-century with consecutive boundaries. 53 runs were scored in the last five overs. McGrath remained unbeaten for 70 off 51 deliveries. She hit 10 fours and one six in her unbeaten knock. Mooney carried her bat. She hit 13 fours in her 54-ball 82. The 158-run second-wicket partnership is the highest T20I partnership against India.