Rawat’s three-wicket haul in vain as India loses to Australia by 13 runs in 1st T20

Mackay: Leg-spinner Prema Rawat’s three-wicket haul went in vain as Australia A, riding on a half-century from middle-order batter Anika Learoyd, defeated India A by 13 runs in the first women’s T20 match in Mackay on Thursday.

The India A team is in Australia for a multi-format series, which includes three T20s, an equal number of 50-over games, and a one-off unofficial Test.

Chasing Australia A’s 137 for six, India A, led by seasoned spinner Radha Yadav, could not forge a match-winning partnership with the home team restricting it to 124 for five to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Electing to field, India A did well to restrict the host to a below-par score, thanks chiefly to the efforts of Rawat, who got rid of dangerous opener Tahlia Wilson (17), Courtney Webb (11), and captain Nicole Faltum (11) to return figures of 3/15 in four overs.

Veteran opener and one of the most devastating Australian players, Alyssa Healy (27), was the first to depart, caught by Saima Thakor off the bowling of spinner Sajeevan Sajana. The two early wickets put Australia A in a spot of bother, but the home team picked up the momentum with No. 3 batter Learoyd striking an unbeaten 44-ball 50, studded with seven boundaries.

Even as wickets kept falling at the other end, Learoyd, who plays for Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League, kept pushing the scoreboard to give the home team bowlers a chance to fight back.

However, India A couldn’t get going, with charismatic opener Shafali Verma, who recently returned to the national side during the five-match T20I series against England and played a key role in India’s historic series win, departing for three runs.

India was unable to accelerate its scoring, with Australia A pacers Amy Edgar (2/23) and Sianna Ginger (2/26) tying its batters down.

Uma Chetry (31) and young all-rounder Raghvi Bist (33) helped the visitor push the scoreboard beyond 100, but the final flourish was missing as skipper Radha (26 not out off 22 balls) and Sajana (7 not out off 11 balls) could not take the team past the finish line.

BRIEF SCORES: Australia A Women 137/6 in 20 overs (Alyssa Healy 27, Anika Learoyd 50; Prema Rawat 3/15) beat India A Women 124/5 in 20 overs (Uma Chetry 31, Raghvi Bist 33, Radha Yadav 26 not out; Amy Edgar 2/23, Sianna Ginger 2/26). Agencies

Also Read: India should have avoided announcing Bumrah would play three Tests in England, says Dasgupta

Also Watch: