Women's T20I Tri-series: Australia defeat India by 6 wickets in opener
Cricket | March 22, 2018 15:04 ISTIndian bowlers bowled too many boundary-balls with as many 21 fours and six were taken off them which practically gave away the match.
Indian bowlers bowled too many boundary-balls with as many 21 fours and six were taken off them which practically gave away the match.
Mithali feels that one shouldn't compare India's twin-series win on South African soil with defeat at home as conditions as well as quality of opposition was completely different.
After streamlining the domestic structure and introducing India A tours, the selectors have been asked to handpick a pool of pacers, spinners and wicketkeepers and test them in a camp at the NCA beginning later this month.
After Alyssa Healy's century, off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner (3/40) and Ellyse Perry (2/40) picked five wickets in unison to dismiss India to 235 runs in the 45th over.
Prior to the ODIs, Indian women had also lost both the practice games in Mumbai by massive 321 runs and seven wickets respectively.
A target of 288 in women's cricket is a tall order but India's opener Punam Raut's lack of power hurt the hosts badly as she undid all the hard work done by her opening partner Smriti Mandhana (67 off 53 balls).
Veteran players Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj and T-20 specialist off-spinner Anuja Patil have also been included in the squad, India will play their first match of the tri-series against Australia on March 22 in Mumbai.
The Indian bowlers expectedly were unable to defend a modest 201-run target and they were let down by not just the batting but also the fielding against Australia.
Recently, the Indian women's team had a highly successful tour of South Africa as Mithali led the ODI side to a 2-1 win, while Harmanpreet Kaur guided a young squad to an emphatic 3-1 victory in a five-match T20I series.
Around Raj, there is a younger crop of promising young cricketers to ease the burden from her shoulders.
India vs South Africa 5th T20I Women's cricket: Watch Ind vs SA 2018 5th T20I Cricket Match Live Streaming Online from Newlands, Cape Town at Sony Ten 1 HD, Sony Ten 3 and SonyLiv TV and Get Cricket Score Live updates at India TV Sports
A win will make Harmanpreet and Co. the first Indian side to have won two series on a single tour of South Africa. It will also be a huge milestone after having won the T20 series in Australia.
The pacer recently became the first female cricketer to take 200 ODI wickets in the second ODI against South Africa, which clinched by a massive 178-run victory at Kimberley.
Chasing a modest 143, India cantered to victory in 19.1 overs as Mandhana hit a blistering 57 off 42 balls while Raj anchored the innings to perfection with her second successive half-century, remaining unbeaten on 76 off 61 balls.
The third, fourth and the fifth T20 will be played on February 18, 21 and 24 and will be telecast on SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 1 HD with English commentary and with Hindi commentary.
The way the Indians came out all guns blazing in the first T20, it seemed the loss in the inconsequential third ODI prior to the series was just a rare bad day in office and their confidence hardly took a beating.
Mithali's knock, her 11th T20 International half century, came from 48 deliveries and she hit six fours, one six and carried her bat through the innings.
A heel injury has forced the veteran out of play as she did not feature in the third and final ODI of the series where the Women in Blue clinched the series 2-1.
While the Mithali Raj led side in the ODI series, the T20s will witness a new captain in the explosive Harmanpreet Kaur.
Needing 42 off the last 30 balls, du Preez took her team over the line in 49.2 overs after opener Laura Wolvaardt struck 59 to lay the foundation of a successful chase for the hosts.
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