India beat Australia by 21 runs in rain-hit first Women’s T20I

India began their Australia tour with a strong 21-run victory in the rain-hit first Women’s T20I. Arundhati Reddy starred with the ball, while Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma contributed with the bat

Sydney: India women’s national cricket team were clinical with both bat and ball as they defeated Australia women’s national cricket team by 21 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in the first Women’s T20 International to start their tour Down Under on a resounding note here on Sunday.

Seamer Arundhati Reddy (4/22) led an excellent bowling display as India packed off Australia for 133. Such was the Indian bowlers’ performance that Australia were bundled out with two overs to spare.

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In reply, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana was unbeaten on a 17-ball 16, with Jemimah Rodrigues giving her company, when the heavens opened up to force an interruption.

Play could not resume after that and India, who were 50 for one in 5.1 overs, were declared deserving winners. The DLS par score after 5.1 overs was 29.

The big-hitting Shafali Verma played her part before being dismissed by Australia’s new skipper Sophie Molineux, smashing her way to an 11-ball 21.

Asked to bat first, Australia were quick off the blocks and raced to 22 in 2.2 overs when Beth Mooney (5) got a leading edge while trying to loft a Renuka Singh delivery, but only managed to sky the ball for Mandhana to complete the catch at cover.

The other opener, Georgia Voll (18 off 10 balls), followed Mooney to the dressing room soon after as she got a thin edge while attempting to play the cut shot against a wide delivery by Kranti Gaud, and wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh did the rest comfortably.

Ellyse Perry (20 off 11 balls) and Phoebe Litchfield (26 off 19 balls) steadied the ship with a brisk 41-run partnership for the third wicket, but just when their association was starting to threaten India, Arundhati struck thanks to some great work by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who ran back to cover a lot of ground and pulled off a brilliant catch diving sideways.

It was a big break for India, and they had their tails up as they snared two more wickets in the form of Ashleigh Gardner (4) and Litchfield to reduce hosts Australia to 80 for five at the start of the 10th over.

Georgia Wareham (30 off 19 balls) and Nicola Carey (12) added 41 runs for the sixth wicket to halt India’s charge for a brief while before the former not only missed out on a poor Arundhati delivery but got out after miscuing a ball that was going down the leg side, leaving Australia at 121 for six in the 14th over.

The score remained the same as Carey was bowled by a quick Shree Charani delivery while the batter tried to play the cut shot.

Renuka then had Annabel Sutherland brilliantly stumped by Ghosh, who removed the bails in a jiffy.

Australia are beginning a new era with Sophie Molineux taking charge of the side after being appointed captain of the T20 team in January.