Mumbai, Jan 10: Half-centuries from openers Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney helped Australia beat India by seven wickets in the third and final T20I of the series at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday.
Australia has bounced back hard in the white-ball leg of the tour following a big loss in one-off Test, securing the ODI series 3-0 and T20I series 2-1.
In the chase of 148 runs, the Australian opening pair of skipper Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney gave a fiery start to the World Champions. Healy showcased attacking and positive intent, smashing young Titas Sadhu for three fours and then a much-senior Renuka Thakur for two fours and a six in the fourth and fifth over respectively.
Australia touched the 50-run mark in just 5.4 overs, with Healy lofting a Shreyanka Patil delivery over mid-on for a boundary.
powerplay, Australia was 54/0, with Healy (37*) going strong with Mooney (14*).
Healy rocketed her way to her 16th T20I fifty in just 34 balls, with nine fours and a six.
The skipper was trapped leg-before wicket by Deepti Sharma in the last ball of the 10th over. Healy was gone for 55 in 38 balls. Australia was 85/1.
All-rounder Tahlia McGrath was next up on the crease. Australia crossed the 100-run mark in 12.1 overs.
Pooja Vastrakar got some success in the 15th over, removing McGrath for 20 off 15 balls, with four boundaries and Ellyse Perry for a golden duck. Australia was 117/3 in 15.2 overs.
Phoebe Litchfield was next up on the crease and took Australia to a win along with Mooney, with eight balls to go. Australia ended at 149/3 in 18.4 overs, with Mooney (52* in 45 balls with five fours) and Litchfield (17*).
Vastrakar got two wickets for India while Deepti got one.
Despite some intent-filled innings by Shafali Varma and Richa Ghosh, Australia was able to take wickets at regular intervals to restrict India to 147/6 in the third and final T20I of the series at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday.
Put to bat first by Australia, India was off to a decent start, with opener Shafali Varma showing some attacking intent, targeting Kim Garth in particular, smashing her for three fours in an over.
Her short-lived inning came to an end after being caught by skipper and keeper Alyssa Healy on a Megan Schutt delivery for 26 off 17 balls, with six fours. India was 39/1 in 4.4 overs.
Smriti Mandhana kept attacking after Shafali’s dismissal, bringing 12 runs from Ashleigh Gardner’s over to bring up 50-run mark in 5.5 overs.