Chants of ‘India, India’ echoed at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday as Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana walked out to bat in the second T20I against Australia. After a convincing win in the series opener, the expectations were high from the home team and a strong 42,000+ crowd ensured that they backed the Women in Blue to the hilt.
However, it all turned futile in the end as a batting collapse saw India crawling to 130 for eight before Australia rode on an unbeaten 34 (21b, 3x4, 2x6) by Ellyse Perry - featuring in her 300th international fixture - to clinch a six-wicket win and level the series.
HIGHLIGHTS - INDIA vs AUSTRALIA
While the Indian batters, barring Deepti Sharma (31, 27b, 5x4), failed to convert the start, it was a commendable bowling effort by Australia. Overcoming an abject performance in the previous game, Kim Garth (2 for 27) dealt an early blow to the home team, trapping Shafali leg-before and followed it up with the precious scalp of Jemimah Rodrigues, who was caught behind by Alyssa Healy after starting with three fours.
Having lost two of its big hitters early, India struggled to 33 for two in the PowerPlay. Coming on the back of a half-century, Mandhana did hit a six and a couple of boundaries, but she could not control a short ball from Annabel Sutherland and pulled one straight to Perry at deep mid-wicket.
With captain Harmanpreet Kaur, too, struggling, Deepti and Richa Ghosh forged a 33-run partnership for the fifth wicket, providing a ray of hope. Ghosh hammered a massive six off Ashleigh Gardner but failed to push on for a big score and was trapped leg-before off a slower delivery from Georgia Wareham. At one point, it looked difficult for India to breach the 120-run mark, but Deepti struck a few boundaries towards the end.
Australia began the chase steadily with captain Healy and Beth Mooney stitching a 51-run opening stand. After a 4-fer in the opening game, the hopes were high for young Titas Sadhu. However, Healy hammered two consecutive boundaries in her opening over. It looked like a cakewalk for the Aussies before Deepti struck in the eighth over, removing Healy and then got her second wicket in Mooney in her next over, courtesy of a quick stumping by Ghosh.
Though Australia lost Tahlia McGrath and Gardner in a short period, Perry and the in-form Phoebe Litchfield (18 n.o., 12b, 3x4) regrouped with a match-winning unbeaten 36-run stand. Litchfield hit a couple of boundaries off Shreyanka Patil in the 19th over before Perry sealed the deal with a six.
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