The atmosphere at Manuka Oval in Canberra is lively as India aims for a significant series win in Australia. This match also highlights a momentous achievement, with Beth Mooney surpassing Meg Lanning as the country’s leading T20I run-scorer. After a solid 21-run victory (DLS) in the first match at Sydney, India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, won the toss and chose to bowl first, relying on her strong bowling line-up to take advantage of the evening conditions. Now under the captaincy of Sophie Molineux, Australia has a critical task ahead, needing to win to stay in the three-match series while preparing for the upcoming competitive season.
Beth Mooney Sets Record as Australia’s T20I Leading Scorer
Most Women’s T20I Runs for Australia
| Rank | Player | Runs Scored |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beth Mooney | 3,406* |
| 2 | Meg Lanning | 3,405 |
| 3 | Alyssa Healy | 3,054 |
| 4 | Ellyse Perry | 2,193 |
| 5 | Ashleigh Gardner | 1,415 |
| 6 | Elyse Villani | 1,369 |
Georgia Voll’s Stellar Performance Leads Australia to 163/5
The Australian innings was marked by an outstanding performance from Voll, who scored a personal best of 88 runs off 57 balls against the Indian bowling attack. Partnering with Mooney, Voll set the stage with a strong 128-run opening partnership, keeping Australia ahead at over nine runs per over for much of the innings.
Voll was especially aggressive toward the Indian spinners, using her reach effectively and reaching her half-century in just 31 balls. However, India made a strong comeback in the final five overs, thanks to Arundhati Reddy, who dismissed both Mooney (46) and later Voll in the 17th over.
The last overs showcased the Indian seamers’ skill, with Renuka Singh taking out Phoebe Litchfield followed by Sree Charani, who executed a tight final over that included two run-outs. Australia, which looked set to exceed 180 runs, ended with 163/5, leaving India with a challenging target of 164 for their first-ever T20I series win in Australia since 2016.
