India Women tour of Australia 2021 News

India bowler Shikha Pandey made headlines on Saturday after she bowled a brilliant inswing delivery to Australia’s Alyssa Healy during the second T20I of the three-match series in Queensland. Pandey cleaned up Healy on the second ball of the innings for just 4 runs. Earlier, in the day, the visitors suffered a major batting collapse after they were restricted to 118/9 in 20 overs. India lost early wickets in the innings and were reduced to 81/9 when Pooja Vastrakar took the onus on herself and struck an unbeaten 37 off 26. Apart from her, captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored 28 off 20 deliveries. Molineux returned with a couple of wickets at the cost of 11 runs in 4 overs while Vlaeminck also picked up two wickets for 18 runs in three overs. Gardner, Wareham, Nicola Carey scalped a wicket apiece for the home side. The first match between the two sides was washed away due to rain. Australia earlier won the three-match ODI series 2-1 while the one-off day-night Test ended in a draw.

The Indian women’s team will be up against their Australian counterparts in the second T20I of the three-match series in Queensland on Saturday. The first encounter between the two sides was washed away due to rain after just over 15 overs were bowled. The Indian team who was batting first when the rain played spoilsport was off to a good and brisk start, courtesy some aggressive batting from openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. But it was Jemimah Rodrigues who took away the limelight after she remained unbeaten at 49 off 36 as India had managed to put 131/4 in 15.2 overs before the play was halted and eventually got abandoned. The visitors would be looking to continue from where they left in the previous clash. For the hosts, Ellyse Perry and Georgia Wareham had a good time while bowling. Wareham picked up one wicket at the cost of three runs in 1.2 overs. The Australian team won the three-match ODI series 2-1 while the one-off Day-night Test ended in a draw. Match Details Australia Women vs India Women, 2nd T20I Venue: Carrara Oval Date and Time: October 9 at 1:40 PM IST Live Streaming: Sony Sports Network Pitch Report The track is likely to favour the batters as we also saw in the first match. The Indian batters scored runs at a quick rate and the surface is expected to behave in the same manner. So, if you win the toss, elect to field first. Team News India: There was a huge positive that India could take from the previous game was Jemimah’s form with the bat. The right-hander played her first match on the tour and was among the runs straight away. While India would need a batter to hold one end, the others can chip in with some quick runs to help the side post a good total. Australia: The Australian side faced a bit of a struggle with their bowling effort as majority of the bowlers went for runs in the last match. Barring Ellyse Perry and Georgia Wareham, none of the bowlers really got into the groove and this would be one major issue that the Australian team management will have to focus on. Probable XI India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh, Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh Australia: Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (c), Ashleigh Gardner, Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Hannah Darlington, Tayla Vlaeminck Fantasy XI Alyssa Healy, Richa Ghosh, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Deepti Sharma, Ashleigh Gardner, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Shikha Pandey

The first T20I of the three-match series between India women’s team and Australia women’s side was called off after rain played spoilsport in Queensland on Thursday. India were cruising to a big total while batting first before the showers interrupted the game. The visitors started off in a decent manner after openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma put 31 runs on the board for the first wicket before Mandhana departed in the fourth over for a 10-ball 17. Verma followed her soon and was undone for 18 off 14 by Gardner. The Indian team had two new batters in Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur at the crease. While Jemimah took on the Australian bowling attack, Kaur was trapped in front of the stumps by Sophie Molineux for 12 runs off 5 deliveries. Rodrigues was then joined by Yastika Bhatia and the two batters put on a partnership of 51 runs for the fourth wicket. Bhatia was eventually sent back to the hut for a run-a-ball 15. Later, Richa Ghosh came out to bat and she along with Jemimah put 25 runs for the fifth wicket before the play was put to halt to eventually get abandoned. Rodrigues top-scored with 49* off 36. Garnder scalped two wickets while Molineux and Georgia Wareham picked up a wicket apiece. The hosts clinched the three-match ODI series 2-1 while the one-off day-night Test ended in a draw. The two sides will now play the second T20I on Saturday at the same venue.

Right, having competed hard in both the Test and ODI format against an all-strenth Australia Women side, India Women are all set to challenge them in their strongest suit—the T20I format. They also have ambitions and purpose to come back with a fresh bundle of energy as the last time these sides met in the shortest format, the Meg Lanning-led women had thrashed the Indian women in the finals of the World T20 last year. And Their skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who has been on the sidelines for the entire length of the tour so far, is all in readiness to inflict some of those pain back to the Aussies. Ahead of the series, she has expressed a desire to win the series 3-0 “at any cost” and it sets up a cracking contest across the three-match series. "We need to win all three to win the series, and we want to go all out. We will go with our best talent because we want to win this series at any cost,” Harmanpreet Kaur said. However, their task will daunting as Australia Women are a side full of in-form batters such as the skipper Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, and Alyssa Healy, who imploded on the night of the World T20 final last year to pulverise Indian Women. If they cross the hurdle of prolific batters, they will have to score runs at a rapid rate against the likes of Darcie Brown and Ellyse Perry, who have been in the top-notch form in the recent past with the ball. On the other hand, India Women will rely on the flamboyance of Shafali Verma and a rich vein of form of Smriti Mandhana. The return of T20 specialists such as Richa Ghosh, Jemimah Rodrigues will boost the aggressive quotient of the side. Match Details Australia Women vs India Women Match no.: 1 Date and Time: October 7, 18:40 local time, 14:10 IST Venue: Carrara Oval, Carrara, Queensland Pitch Report The pitch at the Carrara Oval is expected to be a belter for the batsman and the evidence from the just-concluded Test match suggests that bowlers will have a tough time trying to stop the stroke makers on either side. Team News Australia Women Fresh from a half-century in the Test match, all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner is gearing up to bat higher up the order in the absence of Rachael Haynes. "I know that top four have been pretty flexible over the past 12-18 months. We obviously really like to utilise the left and right combos and now with Rach missing obviously there are a few more right-handers in that top six now which I don't think is a bad thing with obviously me being right-handed, it hopefully pushes me up the order, but I'll bat wherever the team needs me. I'm pretty clear on what my role is in T20 cricket,” she said. Australia Women are also set to welcome Tayla Vlaeminck, who was made to sit out of the ODI and Test series due to fitness issues. Probable XI Alyssa Healy (WK), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (C), Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Hannah Darlington, Darcie Brown, Tayla Vlaeminck India India Women will be delighted to see the return of their skipper Harmanpreet Kaur after missing the entire length of the tour so far and her return will boost the middle-order that clearly lacked firepower in the ODI series. Yastika Bhatia showed impeccable timing with the bat in the Test match and looked fluent while playing strokes and the team management could well prefer her over Jemimah Rodrigues. However, the latter’s T20 credentials can’t be overlooked and they will have tasks on their hands to choose one over the other. Probable XI Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (w), Pooja Vastrakar, Sneh Rana, Shikha Pandey, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad Australia Women vs India Women: Fantasy XI Richa Ghosh, Shafali Verma, Meg Lanning, Tahlia McGrath, Deepti Sharma, Ellyse Perry, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Poonam Yadav Captain: Alyssa Healy Vice-captain: Smriti Mandhana

India captain Mithali Raj said that it was a mixed feeling to be a part of the first pink-ball Test. The historic Day-night Test between India women’s team and Australia women’s side ended in a draw after rain played spoilsport on the first two days of the match. "It was a mixed feeling. I expected quite a movement with the new ball but it didn't happen. In the latter half of the 1st innings, there was a bit of a movement. For my first experience, I thoroughly enjoyed being on the ground," the Indian captain said during the post-match press-conference. India batter Smriti Mandhana scored a fine hundred in the first innings of the match and Mithali lavished praise on the left-handed opener for her knock. “Coming to Australia Smriti has played well, her hundred was fabulous. Seamers have bowled well. Jhulan is obviously an experienced player and she has been in a good rhythm. Along with her [Jhulan] the two young seamers has stood out," she said. The visitors had handed Australia a target of 272 runs in the second innings and they were 36/2 when stumps were called on the final day of the match. The two teams will now be up against each other in the three-match T20I series slated to begin on Thursday.

The Day-night Test match between India women’s team and Australia women’s side ended in a draw in Queenstown on Sunday. The hosts began the proceedings on the final day of the Test from the overnight score of 143/4 with Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner at the crease. Australia added 98 more runs to the tally in the first innings with both Perry and Gardner notching up individual fifties. Captain Meg Lanning declared the innings at 241/9, trailing India by 136 runs. Pooja Vastrakar picked up three wickets while Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh and Deepti Sharma scalped a couple of wickets each. Later, India were off to another decent start after Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana scored 70 runs for the first wicket before Mandhana was undone by Molineux for 31. India then lost Yastika Bhatia for three in quick succession before Verma was joined by Punam Raut in the middle. The two batters then put up a partnership of 48 runs for the third wicket. Verma struck a half-century before she was trapped in front of the stumps by Wareham while Raut remained unbeaten at 41 as India declared the innings at 135/3. The visitors set a target of 272 for the Australian side and the host had a disappointing start to the proceedings after they were reduced to 28/2 and were 36/2 when the stumps were called on the final day. India batter Smriti Mandhana was adjudged player of the match and the left-hander expressed her delight. “It's definitely in the top three (asked to rate this hundred). First time playing a day-night Test, really happy that I gave good pace (start) to the team. Most nervous night I have ever had - after the first day. Lucky with that no-ball on 80. That sort of cleared my mind after that,” she said in the post-match presentation. The rain had played a spoilsport on the first two days of the match and pointing out the same, India captain Mithali Raj said that some crucial overs were lost because of the same. “Had we got four more wickets we would have gone for a few more overs. Rain took a lot of time out of the game. We tried to do whatever we could in the time we got. Jhulan has always been my best bowler for so many years and she shares her experience with the young bowlers,” she said. Australia captain Meg Lanning echoed Mithali’s voice and said that the result was possible if the overs weren’t lost because of rain. “We would have got a result in four days if we didn't have the weather. I thought India played really well. We had to fight it out which I'm pretty proud of the group for doing,” she said. The two sides will now lock horns in a three-match T20I series beginning on Thursday.