The Women’s ICC T20 World Cup is underway, and Group A has become a nail-biting scenario with four teams vying for the top two spots. Australia and India are leading the group with 4 points each, while New Zealand, after playing two matches, has accumulated 2 points. In this group, Australia, India, Pakistan, and New Zealand are in contention for the semifinals, with the top two teams advancing. After losing their first encounter to New Zealand, India is hopeful for a semi-final berth, but they must defeat Australia at all costs, otherwise, their hopes will be dashed. Having previously defeated Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the last hurdle for India to reach the semi-finals is to beat Australia.
This is the biggest challenge India faces, as the team has consistently struggled to beat Australia in T20Is. The two teams will meet on Sunday, October 13th, with the match starting at around 7:30 PM.
Both teams have played 34 T20Is so far, and India has only managed to win 7 of those encounters. As an exciting showdown between Australia and India approaches, let’s take a look at the top five matches between these two teams in women’s T20Is.
1. T20 World Cup Final, 2020, Melbourne
This match stands out as one of the most memorable encounters between these two teams, as India and Australia faced off in the T20 World Cup final. Both teams looked strong and were in form. India was confident after defeating Australia in the group stage of the same tournament. However, Australia excelled in their first innings, scoring 184 runs for the loss of just 4 wickets. Alisha Healy played a remarkable innings, scoring 75 runs off 39 balls, while fellow opener Beth Mooney contributed 78 runs off 54 balls.
The Indian team succumbed to the pressure and suffered a major batting collapse, losing their first four wickets for just 30 runs. Deepti Sharma was the only player to cross the 20-run mark, scoring 33 runs as the team was bundled out for 99. Megan Schutt was outstanding with the ball, taking 4 wickets, while Jess Jonassen claimed 3 wickets, leading Australia to lift the T20 World Cup trophy.
2. India vs Australia, Sydney, 2008
This was the first-ever T20 international played between Australia and India, taking place in Sydney. Australia batted first, posting 142 runs, with Shelly Nitschke contributing a crucial 49 runs off 39 balls and captain Karen Rolton adding 44 runs.
In response, the Indian women played well, with Mithali Raj scoring a solid 51 runs off 45 balls and Jhulan Goswami supporting her with an unbeaten 27 runs off 22 balls. However, India lost the match by just 2 runs in a thrilling finish by the Aussies.
3. India vs Australia, Group stage, Sydney, T20 WC 2020
This was one of the most exciting encounters between India and Australia in T20 cricket. Australia entered the tournament as a strong contender, having won multiple World Cups, while India was less confident. In their group stage match during the T20 World Cup, India batted first and scored 132 runs for the loss of 4 wickets, thanks to Deepti Sharma’s impressive innings of 49 runs off 46 balls.
Australia struggled in their chase due to outstanding bowling performances from Poonam Yadav and Shikha Pandey, who took 4 and 3 wickets, respectively. Australia was all out for 150 runs, with the only half-century coming from opener Alisha Healy, who scored 51 runs off 35 balls. Poonam Yadav was named Player of the Match for her remarkable figures of 4 wickets for just 19 runs.
4. India Women vs Australia Women, Navi Mumbai, 2022
One of the most memorable matches between Australia and India occurred during Australia’s tour of India in 2022. The two teams played a 5-match T20 series in Navi Mumbai. In this match, Australia batted first and set a formidable target, with Beth Mooney scoring 82 runs and Ashleigh Gardner contributing 70 runs, forming a strong partnership of 150 runs in just 99 balls.
In response, the Indian team also played well, with Smriti Mandhana scoring a beautiful 79 runs off 49 balls. Richa Ghosh made a crucial contribution with 26 runs off 13 balls, while Devika Vaidya added 11 runs off 5 balls in the final moments of the match. However, the match ended in a tie, as both teams scored 187 runs. India won in the super over, which saved them from a series whitewash, with Australia winning 4 out of the 5 matches.
5. ODI World Cup, Semi-Final, Derby, 2017
The semi-final of the ICC ODI Women’s World Cup in 2017 was one of the most thrilling matches for the Indian women’s team. The match took place in Derby, with India batting first and scoring an impressive 281 runs for the loss of 4 wickets, thanks to Harmanpreet Kaur’s incredible innings of 171 runs off just 115 balls. This innings is one of the most memorable in the history of Indian women’s cricket.
Australia, in reply, lost early wickets but managed to fight back, with Elyse Villani scoring 75 runs and Alex Blackwell contributing 90 runs. However, due to a strong bowling attack from India, Deepti Sharma took 3 wickets, while Shikha Pandey and Jhulan Goswami claimed 2 wickets each. Australia was all out for 245 runs, allowing India to secure a 36-run victory and advance to the finals.
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