3rd WT20I: India, Australia cross swords in the decider
India are gearing up to meet Australia in the third and deciding Women's T20I. While the Women in Blue walked away with a comfortable triumph in the opener, the visitors crossed the line in the low-scoring second game. The hosts meanwhile have a great chance to win a bilateral series against the mighty Aussies. Here is the match preview.
Venue, pitch, streaming details and more
Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium will host the second encounter between India and Australia on January 9 from 7:00pm IST. The surface here is generally good for batting but like the previous two games, pacers will get some help with the new ball. Sports18 Network will broadcast the match live on television but fans can also live-stream on the Jio Cinema app and website.
A look at the head-to-head record
India and Australia have clashed in a total of 33 Women's T20Is, with the latter winning 24 games. While India have won only seven WT20Is, one match finished in a tie (NR: 1). It is worth noting that India have won only two WT20Is against Australia at home. The rest of their wins have come at away and neutral venues.
Indian batters need to step up
Though Indian bowlers have been sensational in this series, the team was let down by their batters in the second game. Veterans Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur need to shoulder responsibilities. Titas Sadhu and Deepti Sharma have done well with the ball. For Australia, Ellyse Perry scored crucial 30s in both games. Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Wareham have also been impressive for them.
Here are the probable XIs
Indian Women's probable XI: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Pooja Vastrakar, Shreyanka Patil, Titas Sadhu and Renuka Singh Thakur. Australia Women's probable XI: Alyssa Healy (captain and wicket-keeper), Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Phoebe Litchfield, Grace Harris, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Anabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt, and Darcie Brown.
Here are the key performers
Beth Mooney's tally of 854 WT20I runs against India at 44.94 is the most for any player. Skipper Alyssa Healy (523 runs) has also operated well against India. All-rounder Deepti Sharma has returned with 25 WT20I scalps against Australia at 20.15. Mandhana (433 runs at 27.06) was India's top-scorer in WT20Is last year. Jemimah Rodrigues (405 at 31.15) was not far behind.
Here are the Dream11 team predictions
Option 1: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Beth Mooney (C), Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Deepti Sharma (C), Pooja Vastrakar, Renuka Singh Thakur, Titas Sadhu and Megan Schutt. Option 2: Alyssa Healy, Smriti Mandhana (VC), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath (C), Ashleigh Gardner, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Renuka Singh Thakur, Titas Sadhu and Darcie Brown.
