Sydney, 15 February (Sports Desk)
The India Women in Australia, 3 T20I Series, 2026 – 1st T20I between India Women and Australia Women took place on February 15, 2026, at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney, Australia. This rain-interrupted match was part of a multi-format series (including ODIs and a Test) ahead of the T20 World Cup preparations. India Women delivered a strong all-round performance, winning by 21 runs via the DLS method after rain forced an early end. India took a 1-0 lead in the T20I series (and 2-0 points in the overall multi-format series, as per some scoring systems).
- Toss: India Women won the toss and elected to bowl first (under grey skies, captain Harmanpreet Kaur opted to exploit early conditions).
- Australia Women innings: 133 all out (18 overs)
- India Women innings: 50/1 (5.1 overs) – ahead on DLS when rain stopped play permanently.
- Result: India Women won by 21 runs (DLS method). The DLS par score after 5.1 overs was 29; India were comfortably ahead at 50/1, leading to the match being called off with no resumption possible.
- Player of the Match: Arundhati Reddy (India Women) for her impressive 4/22 spell – she dismantled Australia’s middle order with pace, bounce, and variations, earning praise for her big four-wicket haul in the series opener.
watch…..India A Thrash Pakistan A! Vrinda Shines with Unbeaten 55 in Easy 8-Wicket Victory
Australia Women Innings (133 all out in 18 overs)
Australia started under pressure on a seaming pitch but built brief momentum before collapsing. They lost early wickets and never fully recovered against India’s disciplined pace and spin attack. The innings ended prematurely in the 18th over.
Key performers for Australia:
- Beth Mooney (wk): Early contribution but dismissed for low (part of opening stand).
- Ellyse Perry: Brief resistance in a 41-run stand.
- Ashleigh Gardner and others: Middle-order stuttered.
- Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Mooney, 2.4 ov), 2-27 (Voll, 3.2 ov), 3-68 (Perry, 7.2 ov), 4-78 (Gardner, 8.4 ov), and further collapses.
India Women’s bowling highlights:
- Arundhati Reddy: 4/22 – standout performer; took key wickets in clusters, including middle-order breakthroughs with clever seam movement and bounce.
- Renuka Singh Thakur: Tight spells and wickets in the powerplay.
- Sree Charani and Deepti Sharma: Supported with economical overs and scalps to restrict scoring.
- Extras: 6 (wides mainly); India maintained pressure, bowling Australia out for a below-par total on a good batting surface.
India Women Innings (50/1 in 5.1 overs – chasing 134)
India’s openers attacked aggressively in the powerplay, racing to 50/1 before heavy rain intervened. They were well ahead on DLS (par 29), showcasing intent and dominance.
Key performers:
- Shafali Verma: Explosive start (21 off 10 before dismissal) – quick 21 with boundaries and sixes.
- Smriti Mandhana: Solid support.
- Jemimah Rodrigues: Contributed with a boundary in the final over before stoppage.
- Only wicket: Shafali Verma c Wareham b Sophie Molineux (33/1) – Molineux struck early for Australia.
Australia’s bowling:
- Sophie Molineux (new captain): Took the lone wicket with her left-arm spin.
- Others like Kim Garth and Nicola Carey leaked runs in the short time.
The rain came down heavily after 5.1 overs, covers came on, and with no prospect of resumption, umpires awarded the match to India via DLS. This was a statement win for Harmanpreet Kaur’s side – strong bowling (led by Reddy) and aggressive batting intent in the chase.
India now lead the 3-match T20I series 1-0 (next: 2nd T20I on Feb 19 at Manuka Oval, Canberra). A clinical, rain-affected but thoroughly deserved victory for the Women in Blue! 🇮🇳
