Mooney, McGrath chart Australia's win over India in final T20I

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Australian batters, Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath did well to recover Australia’s innings to a competitive 149/5 before the bowlers swooped in to defend the target with 14 runs despite Smriti Mandhana’s efforts.

Bowling first, India snared an early breakthrough with Alyssa Healy (4) back in the hut in the second over. Renuka Singh (1/23) bowled one outside-off which found the edge of Healy’s bat.

After that, Beth Mooney anchored the Australian innings while wickets kept tumbling down the other end. Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2/37) controlled the middle overs with Meg Lanning getting out hit-wicket for a run-a-ball 14 followed by Deepti Sharma picking Ellyse Perry (8) who was caught at long-on.

Mooney’s purple patch in the series continued as she scored yet another fifty -- 61 in 43 balls and it took a stupendous effort from Harmanpreet Kaur at covers to remove Mooney.

Tahlia McGrath starred with the bat to take the hosts to a total of 149/5. McGrath remained unbeaten on 44 runs in 31 balls with Georgia Wareham on 13*.

In their chase, Shafali Verma (1) was the first to fall in a soft dismissal with a half-tracker fired from Gardner carrying straight to short fine leg.

The visitors were slow to start with 28/1 scored in the Powerplay. Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues stitched a 57-run stand but took 56 balls in the process, leaving India needing 96 off the final ten overs.

Rodrigues succumbed to the scoring pressure and lobbed it straight to long-off, ending her innings of 23 runs coming in 26 balls.

Mandhana made her 14th T20 half-century, her fifth against Austalia and looked threatening to take the game away from the hosts. However, Nicola Carey (2/42) got the prized wicket after Mandhana (52) sliced the ball to Lanning.

The fall of Mandhana triggered an implosion in the Indian batting line-up that made the recovery hard. India tottered from 92/2 to 102/6 in the span of 2.2 overs asking the lower middle order to score 49 from 18 balls for a win.

India ended short of the target by 14 runs however Richa Ghosh alongside Deepti Sharma showcased some finishing prowess with 21 runs scored off the final over from Carey.