India (Commonwealth) _ Australia won the third and final Twenty20 international against India by seven wickets on Tuesday, sealing a 2-1 series win. India Set 148 to win. Australia reached their goal with eight balls to spare, with Alyssa Healy leading the way with a 38-ball 55 and Beth Mooney anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 45-ball 52.
Tahlia McGrath (20 off 15) and Phoebe Litchfield (17 not out off 13) produced excellent cameos, while Annabel Sutherland and Georgia Wareham bowled well as India scored 147. Ellyse Perry, who made her 300th game for Australia and smashed a six in the second match, was dismissed for a golden duck.
Despite being well-deserved, Australia’s victory was not without luck, with Healy winning the toss after calling heads instead of tails. The side batting second has won 12 of the previous 15 women’s games at the Navi Mumbai site, including the first two matches in the series.
The second stroke of luck came when Australia reached the target of 60 without loss in the seventh over. On 38, Healy cut Pooja Vastrakar to the point, where Jemimah Rodrigues seemed to make a fantastic low grab while diving forward. It was the breakthrough India needed, and the squad and fans rejoiced as Healy removed her helmet and walked for the sheds.
The umpires then requested a television check to see if the catch was clean. After nearly three minutes of uncertain, blurry replays, the TV umpire determined Healy was not out. The brawl had obviously tired the Indian squad, and the enormous audience of 43,523 became silent. Healy reattached her helmet and reached her 16th half-century in her 150th T20I after only seven balls.
Healy went out shortly after, leg before, but Australia had gained 25 runs in rapid succession, and despite Perry’s departure the following ball, they were cruising.
“It got a little tight near the end, but Tahlia and Phoebe stepped in and did an excellent job,” Mooney said. Sutherland, the most expensive player in the next WIPL auction at A$364,000, had impressed Delhi Capitals supporters by taking two for 12 in four overs at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy stadium.
Wareham got two for 24 in her four overs, but Australia’s other bowlers were particularly pricey. Megan Schutt (one for 36) might take heart from the fact that her wicket, with a well-disguised slower ball to Shafali Verma, propelled her to the top of the women’s T20 international wicket-taking chart with 131.
Perry stated, “It’s great to win, and it’s a nice comeback for us.” We had a bit of a what-for the other night. The opening innings saw some outstanding bowling. Perry is the first Australian woman to reach 300 international appearances, having made her debut for Australia at the age of 17 in a one-day international against New Zealand in 2007.
She has played in 147 T20s, 141 ODIs, and 12 Tests, scoring 6,585 runs and taking 323 wickets in all forms, helping the team win two 50-over World Cups, six T20 World Cups, and four Women’s Ashes series triumphs.
Perry also played football for eight years, making 18 senior appearances for the Australian national side, before opting to focus completely on cricket in 2015.
The IND vs Australia head-to-head T20 record is excellent, as the Indians have outperformed in previous matches. India and Australia have played a total of 31 T20 matches. India has won 19 out of 31 games, while Australia has won 11 of them. One match terminated without a result.
