Published: Jan 08, 2024, 04:12 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 08, 2024, 04:12 PM (IST)
In the low-scoring match between the Australian womens’s team and the Indian women’s team under Harmanpreet Kaur on Sunday at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, Shreyanka Patil of India was given the duty of limiting the damage. When the record World Cup champions faced Harmanpreet and company in the penultimate encounter of the three-match series, Australia hoped to even the score.
Superstar Ellyse Perry only scored 4 runs alongside colleague Phoebe Litchfield while batting on 28 from 20 balls in the 18th over, which was delivered by Pooja Vastrakar. The formula was straightforward: Australia needed to win the series for the first time by scoring 15 runs off of the final 12 balls. For the 19th over, Harmanpreet then brought young Shreyanka back into the assault. Shreyanka, who let up 23 runs in her opening three overs, was trying to force the match into the last over by giving the Australian batsmen no opportunity in her final six deliveries.
Harmanpreet’s remarks against Shreyanka
But Shreyanka let up 17 runs, which allowed Australia, led by Perry, to win the match in 19 overs. After the game, skipper Harmanpreet commented on how different things may have gone for the hosts if Shreyanka had hit the mark in her last over. This was in response to India’s defeat. “We were getting those opportunities and taking wickets in the middle while bowling, so that’s a plus. Things might have been different if Shreyanaka had hit the mark in the nineteenth over, but tight games highlight areas that need improvement,” the woman added.
“We have played these games a lot of time but this time we have a few new faces, this young side is looking very positive and I’m sure they will keep improving,” she stated. Observing Harmanpreet’s comment on her colleague, veteran Indian pacer Dodda Ganesh criticized the captain for ‘putting Shreyanka under the bus’. The former cricket player for India wrote in his article, “Throwing a 19-year-old kid under the bus is not done.”
Can India defeat Australia in a T20I series for the first time?
To continue discussing the game, Australia held India to 130 for 8 after they won the toss and chose to field. Smriti Mandhana (23), Richa Ghosh (23), and Deepti Sharma (30) all got off to starts that helped India to a subpar total in 20 overs. Harmanpreet, the skipper, had a forgettable day as she was out for six off twelve balls. Perry, who was playing for the Australians for the 300th time, finished with an unbeaten 34 to help her side defeat India by 6 wickets. In the third T20I on Tuesday, Harmanpreet’s India Women will aim to defeat Australia for the first time in a T20I series.
