The change in format didn’t bring any change to the fortune of Indian women as visiting Australians steamrolled them by six wickets in the women’s T20 tri-series opener at the Cricket Club of India’s Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday. After restricting India to a moderate 152/5, the Meg Lanning-side batted with calculated aggression and romped home with 11 balls to spare. Jhulan Goswami provided India early breakthroughs by castling in-form wicketkeeper-batswoman Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner, who was promoted up the order, in her first two overs. Earlier, Smriti Mandhana, in the company of Mithali Raj, got India off to a flyer, unsettling Australian bowlers with a flurry of strokes. Mandhana’s departure sparked a collapse as India lost three wickets in a span of seven balls for the addition of a solitary run.

Source: Hindustan Times March 22, 2018 08:15 UTC