Bowlers, McGrath power Australia to multi-format series win over India

SCORECARD

Put in to bat first, the Indians had to endure a shaky start. Tayla Vlaeminck got the scalp of the in-form Smriti Mandhana in the very first over, as she tried to get the visitors off to an aggressive start. After a few disciplined deliveries, giving nothing away, the hosts again reaped the rewards in the third over. Vlaeminck struck again, this time dismissing the dangerous Shafali Verma for 3.

Jemimah Rodrigues, who batted so effortlessly in the first T20I before the rain interval, too couldn't contribute much to the Indian scorecard. Trying to heave the ball over the top, she couldn't find any timing resulting in her being caught by Hannah Darlington off the bowling of Sophie Molineux on 7.

Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur looked fluent in her knock of 28 off 20 deliveries but failed to capitalize and convert it into a big one. With her stumping off the bowling of Georgia Wareham, India found themselves teetering at 50/4.

A procession of wickets would then follow, with the Australians well and truly in command of the contest. The Indian middle and lower order failed to make any substantial contributions, with the scoreboard reading 81/9. But a late impetus from Pooja Vastrakar, who played some outstanding shots in her unbeaten knock of 37, propelled India's score of 118/9 in 20 overs, giving their bowlers a glimmer of hope in the contest.

In reply, Shikha Pandey got India off to a perfect start with a peach of a delivery to dismiss Alyssa Healy. A length delivery, the ball cut back in prodigiously to hit the sticks.

Pandey was looking in ominous form, bowling some brilliant balls with Australian skipper Meg Lanning and Beth Mooney tasked with steadying the ship.

After calming down the waters somewhat, Australia then had to endure back-to-back setbacks. Lanning was the first one to go, as Rajeshwari Gayakwad managed to beat her with flight in the air, with Richa Ghosh completing the stumping. Harmanpreet Kaur then introduced herself into the attack and struck immediately to dismiss Ashleigh Gardner for 1.

Ellyse Perry also didn't hang along much longer, with Deepti Sharma getting a wicket in the very first delivery of her spell. With Perry's dismissal for 2, the contest was blown wide open with Australia's score at 46/4.

Nicola Carey and Mooney then strung together a crucial 25-run partnership to steady the ship before Gayakwad and Ghosh once again combined to affect the stumping of the dangerous Mooney.

McGrath hit the ground running with three boundaries in three overs to ensure the asking rate never got out of reach. Gayakwad picked up her third wicket, with Ghosh, albeit with some fortune, stumping Carey out as she fumbled the ball onto the stumps.

Needing 25 off the last three overs, McGrath and Georgia Wareham only needed 13 balls to wrap up the multi-format series as Australia registered a four-wicket win over India in the second T20I.

Tahlia McGrath was awarded the Player of the Match for her unbeaten 42 off 33 that helped Australia get across the line.

The two teams will now clash in the third and final T20I tomorrow, 9 October at Carrara.