AUS-A W vs IND-A W 1st T20 Review: Australia outclass India by five runs despite Priya Punia's gritty fifty

Australia A Women took on India A Women in the first T20 at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane on August 7. India won the toss and elected to bowl first. Katie Mack and Tahlia Wilson started slowly but managed to keep the run rate above six runs per over. Tahlia played a splendid knock of 50 off 34 and put up a 74-run stand for the first wicket with Katie, who played a supportive knock of 39 off 31.

India came back in the game with quick wickets as Australia were 91 for three in 12 overs. The hosts sunk further failing to build partnerships in between and were 116 for 5 in 14.5 overs. Nicole Fartum and Maddy Darke bailed them out with a 47-run stand for the sixth wicket propelling the team to a fighting total of 163 for 5 at the end of 20 overs. For India, Saika Ishaque dazzled with three wickets and Sayali Satghare pitched in with two wickets.

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While chasing, India lost Shwetha Sehrawat in the fourth over with 27 runs on board and Uma Chetry followed suit leaving India at 36 for 2. Priya Punia and Tanuja Kanwar stitched a much-needed partnership of 64 runs for the third wicket before Kanwar walked back scoring 22 runs. Kiran Navgire and Sajeevan Sajana were part of two unfortunate run-outs and India needed 44 runs in 14 balls. 

Australia struck timely run-outs to surge past India

Three balls later, a miscommunication between Punia and Bist Raghvi led the former to fall short of the crease as she trudged back to the pavilion scoring a gritty 76 off 59 balls. With her wicket, India’s last hope of making a game out of the catastrophe ended and they succumbed to the hosts by five runs. For Australia, Maitlan Brown and Sophie Day plucked two and one wickets respectively as Australia orchestrated three run-outs.