On paper, it would seem like a mismatch given how New Zealand women went winless on their England tour in June-July. The White Ferns have lost all of their last seven T20Is played and one more defeat would make it their longest losing streak in the format. Skipper Sophie Devine reckoned that Australia posed a perfect challenge for the visitors to avoid the unwanted record and fine-tune their preparations for the Women's T20 World Cup next month.
These will be the last two assignments for Devine as captain of New Zealand in the format and the veteran will be keen to end her stint on a high note. Australia, on the other hand, haven't played as a team since the Bangladesh series in April. Most of the players were in action in the Hundred but it's been five months since they played together. However, that hasn't been an issue as such for the Australian women's team as the cricket calender is not that gruelling and they still are able to churn out performances and results one after the other.
Australia will be favourites but New Zealand can't get better motivation to get their act right.
When and where to watch AUS vs NZ women's T20 series on TV and online in India?
The first T20I of the three-match series between Australia Women and New Zealand Women in Mackay begins at 2:40 PM IST on Thursday, September 19 with the remaining two games scheduled for September 22 and 24. The AUS vs NZ women's T20 series will be live telecast on the Star Sports Network on TV while the live streaming will be available on the Disney+Hotstar app and website.
Squads
Australia Women: Alyssa Healy(w/c), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Phoebe Litchfield, Grace Harris, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Sophie Molineux, Tayla Vlaeminck, Megan Schutt, Kim Garth, Alana King, Darcie Brown
New Zealand Women: Sophie Devine(c), Suzie Bates, Isabella Gaze(w), Georgia Plimmer, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Jess Kerr, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu, Rosemary Mair, Fran Jonas, Eden Carson, Molly Penfold, Amelia Kerr, Leigh Kasperek
