Gold Coast, Oct 10: The Indian women’s team committed batting harakiri despite a fine half century from opener Smriti Mandhana to lose the third and final T20 International by 14 runs as Australia clinched the multi-format series by 11-5 margin. Australia won four of the six white ball games (three WODIs and three WT20Is) paving the way for an easy series win.
Chasing a challenging 150-run target, Mandhana smashed 52 off 49 balls and shared 57 runs with Jemimah Rodrigues (23 off 26) for the second wicket to set the platform for India before the visitors lost four wickets in a span of 10 runs to lose the plot.
For Australia, right-arm pacer Nicola Carey (2/42) was the pick of the bowlers, while Ashleigh Gardner (1/22), Annabel Sutherland (1/13) and Georgia Wareham (1/15) scalped a wicket each.
India thus ended their Australia tour heartbroken, having already lost the three-match ODI series 1-2 before drawing the rain-marred lone historic day/night Test.
India’s run chase started on a disappointing fashion as they lost hard-hitting opener Shafali Verma (1) early, caught by Vlaeminck at short fine-leg off Gardner in the second over. But Mandhana looked in ominous touch as she displayed her wide range of shots.
Mandhana soon reached her fifty off just 46 balls with a boundary off Carey but she perished four balls later, caught by Australia skipper Meg Lanning.
Needing 57 off 30 balls, India’s chase derailed thereafter as they lost two more quick wickets, including that off skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (13). (PTI)
