IND vs AUS, fifth T20I as it happened: Harris, Gardner, Graham star as Australia clinch series 4-1
Recap of the fifth and final match of the series.
![IND vs AUS, fifth T20I as it happened: Harris, Gardner, Graham star as Australia clinch series 4-1](https://sc0.blr1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/article/184672-owtbminlow-1671555155.jpg)
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TOSS & TEAM: Harmanpreet Kaur opts to bowl, Jemimah Rodrigues left out
AUS: 196/4 (20), Gardner-Harris with unbroken 129-run stand in 10.2 overs.
IND: 142 all out (20), Gardner and Graham star with the ball while Sharma scored half century
10.25 pm: Here’s the thing. On their day, this Indian team can still beat the Australians. But it has to be a 8/9 out of 10 across the board for India and less than ideal for Australia for it to happen. The second T20I was an absolute spectacle but that seems to be the exception rather than the norm as a well-oiled, well-coached, well-managed, well-supported Australian team continues to show world cricket what caring and planning looks like. For India, well, it feels like we didn’t learn too much new about them here. Devika Vaidya and Anjali Sarvani went alright after their call-ups for a big assignment like this from a good domestic season. Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma could help them address the middle order issues. But otherwise still questions to be answered, and familiar ones at that. And who answers those questions without a head coach in place, well, that’s for another day perhaps. That will be all for this series, which was for the most part quite entertaining, but ends with a reality check for Harmanpreet Kaur and co.
2022 Deepti Sharma with the bat vs every other year Deepti Sharma is quite a comparison.#INDvAUShttps://t.co/5mgceToXBp pic.twitter.com/v3m09Y5Ac3
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) December 20, 2022
#INDvAUS
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) December 20, 2022
Both the captains lift the trophy together. What a team. Just unreal.https://t.co/LAiGrmhUQ1 pic.twitter.com/KXN7y5vcgv
Player of the series: Ash Gardner.
Player of the match: Ash Gardner, again.
Harmanpreet Kaur (not verbatim): We did well in the first 10-12 overs, then we saw what they could do with the middle order. Lot of learnings for us, happy with the way we played in the series. Lot of areas we improved. Yes definitely (power hitting is the next stage), we will also like to introduce some of it. The self belief in the dressing room is a positive. We have a month off now to train hard and get ready for tri-series then World Cup.
Proud of this team for finishing the series on a high, despite plenty of curveballs!
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) December 20, 2022
Scorecard: https://t.co/qFEw74Dw5c #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/CEVvLTEycx
.@Deepti_Sharma06 top-scored with 5⃣3⃣ off just 34 deliveries in #TeamIndia's chase but it's Australia who won the final #INDvAUS T20I.
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 20, 2022
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/lcM9rcoQxe pic.twitter.com/bzfLCwlpO1
Australia women during ODIs + T20Is in 2022
— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) December 20, 2022
Won 24
Lost 1 (in super over)#INDvAUS
Australia won by 54 runs and take the series 4-1: The world’s best showing why they are the world’s best. A terrific win from being 67/4 at one stage. Harris, Gardner, Graham the stars. A side without Lanning, Haynes, Healy, Schutt, Jonassen... winning comfortably in the end.
Now would be a good time to mention that this Australian team did not have Meg Lanning, Rachael Haynes retired, and Alyssa Healy injured. That's like your captain, vice-captain and best opener in four years. And yet, they have come out and put on a show and how! #INDvAUS
— Sa. Gomesh | ச. கோமேஷ் (@SaGomesh) December 20, 2022
WICKET! 19.6: Deepti Sharma 53(34) ct Ashleigh Gardner b Heather Graham A half century, terrific one at that, but Deepti Sharma falls last ball trying for one more big shot. That will be all for the series. Oh look, another catch for Gardner. India 142 all out
☝️Devika Vaidya
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) December 20, 2022
☝️Radha Yadav
☝️Renuka Singh Thakur
That's a hat-trick for Heather Graham 👏👏#INDvAUS #CricketTwitter 📸Disney+Hotstar pic.twitter.com/gPntAyLzJw
WICKET! 19.1: Renuka Singh 2(3) b Heather Graham HAT-TRICK! Heather Graham gets her hair ruffled as she picks up a hat-trick with the wicket of Renuka. Poles rattled. India 137/9
IND 137/8 after 19 overs: Another four for Deepti, putting away a full toss. She moves on to 49.
WICKET! 18.2: Anjali Sarvani 4(12) ct Ashleigh Gardner b Tahlia McGrath Oh wait, Gardner is not done yet. Takes a catch at deep midwicket now. Somebody ask her to take it a bit easy! India 130/8
Shafli Verma took 6 T20I wickets.
— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) December 20, 2022
All of them are this year.
5 off them are stumped by Richa Ghosh.#INDvAUS
IND 129/7 after 18 overs: Ash Gardner finishes with 4-0-20-2. If only she batted half decently, she’d be a shoo-in for player of the match... oh wait.
IND 127/7 after 17 overs: A six in the 16th over and four fours in the 17th over... Deepti Sharma producing some late fireworks for the fans to cheer. She has moved on to 42 off 27 balls. Her batting is once again proving to be a bright spark.
Remarkably, the upcoming 2023 Women's T20 World Cup will be the first time the Australia women's team will visit South Africa since the 2005 ODI World Cup.#T20WorldCup #WT2023
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) December 20, 2022
Some thoughts as the series meanders to a tame finish after being competitive for the most part: Australia, when looking to oversee a transition post Matthew Mott, appointed Shelley Nitschke as head coach for continuity. They soon gave her two bowling assistant coaches (one to oversee spinners and one to oversee pacers). India, meanwhile, don’t have a head coach anymore and just a batting coach, no bowling coach either. (Harmanpreet Kaur said earlier how the bowlers are stepping up with their own plans, almost as if that’s not enough against this batting lineup). The coaching changes for India were announced just two days or so before the series against Australia. And if reports are to be believed, there is no plan to appoint a new head coach. Almost as if the team with the better talent *AND* better support system posts better results. Who would have thought?
IND 100/7 after 15 overs: The 100 comes up as Deepti Sharma is playing a decent cameo.
WICKET! 12.6: Radha Yadav 0(1) b Heather Graham Radha’s forgettable day comes to an end. Bowled first ball. Length ball, cross-bat swipe, bowled. India 88/7
WICKET! 12.5: Devika Vaidya 11(14) st Beth Mooney b Heather Graham Oh, terrific knuckle ball and Vaidya beaten completely. Mooney makes no mistake standing up to the stumps. India 88/6
IND 85/5 after 12 overs: A matter of reducing the quantum of defeat here for India. A four for Vaidya in that Garth over, cut past point. She could strengthen her World Cup case here.
Australia might have done enough already to seal this match with 10 overs left. IND: 71/5 after 10 overs.
Heather Graham grabs a stunner ❤️
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) December 20, 2022
That is some outstanding athleticism👏👏 #INDvAUS 📸Disney+Hotstar pic.twitter.com/XhlHWTG8nI
WICKET! 9.2: Richa Ghosh 10(9) ct Heather Graham b Ashleigh Gardner As if Ash Gardner hadn’t done enough damage with the bat, dismisses Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh (two batters who can do some damage with the bat). Absolutely brilliant catch on the midwicket fence by Graham. India 70/5
From well outside leg stump to somewhere between middle and off – that’s a massive trigger movement in her stance by Harmanpreet Kaur. Wonder if it deters steady vision at the crease.#INDvAUS #CricketTwitter
— Aditya Chaturvedi (@aditya_c19) December 20, 2022
IND 69/4 after 9 overs: Again Richa Ghosh is looking in good touch. Couple of fours in that Sutherland over, one off a free hit.
Australia all over the game. With Harman gone, Deepti and Richa find themself under immense pressure. They sure can do it but is a mountain to climb! #INDvAUS
— Reema Malhotra (@ReemaMalhotra8) December 20, 2022
WICKET! 8.1: Harmanpreet Kaur 12(11) lbw Annabel Sutherland Competitive series coming towards a limp end, we are afraid. Kaur has a front-pad problem and that is plumb. India 58/4
IND 58/3 after 8 overs: A four for Kaur followed by two and singles in that McGrath over. Nearly another massive mixup.
With an enterprising 16-ball 24 in her only innings of the series, Harleen Deol leaves an imprint on this series and, potentially, on the look of the soon-to-be-announced 2023 T20 World Cup squad, too.#INDWvsAUSW | #INDvAUS https://t.co/xg8lBBL7ik
— Annesha Ghosh (@ghosh_annesha) December 20, 2022
IND 49/3 after 7 overs: India are in the exact same score as Australia. But do they have a Harris-Gardner stand in them? Harry Kaur joined by Richa Ghosh.
A clumsy end to what was such a composed little knock by Harleen Deol.#INDvAUS #CricketTwitter
— Aditya Chaturvedi (@aditya_c19) December 20, 2022
WICKET! 6.2: Harleen Deol 24(16) Run Out Tahlia McGrath There was still time for Harleen to come back there after the captain said no. She took too long to turn back and is gone. India 47/3
End of Powerplay!@imharleenDeol is putting up a show here as #TeamIndia move to 46/2 👍👍
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 20, 2022
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/lcM9rc7Nve #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/fM8opa76U2
IND 46/2 after 6 overs: Two more fours for Harleen in that Brown over. Good finish to an otherwise poor powerplay for India.
IND 35/2 after 5 overs: Some momentum finally for India. A four and a six from Harleen to finish that Gardner over. Lovely hit down the ground off the last ball, good use of the feet. She plays that shot really well.
WICKET! 4.2: Shafali Verma 13(14) ct Annabel Sutherland b Ashleigh Gardner Oh dear. Shafali never really got going and the bat turns in her hand as she goes big. Caught easily at long on. India 24/2
IND 23/1 after 4 overs: Shafali gets away with another streaky stroke. She tries to whack the ball across and gets an outside edge past short-third for four. Six runs come from Garth’s second over.
Highest away T20I total by Australia women:
— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) December 20, 2022
226/3 - v ENG, 2018
196/4 - this series
188/3 - this series
187/1 - this series#INDvAUS
IND 17/1 after 3 overs: Dropped! Shafali goes for another aerial stroke and miscues it but Harris can’t hold on to the catch running back from extra cover. Brown the unlucky bowler. Harris, on the mic with the commentators, says the ball went really high but she should’ve got a hand to it.
IND 14/1 after 2 overs: Shafali gets going as well with a well-placed pull, from well outside off, for four. Six runs come from Garth’s first over.
What destruction by Australia middle order! #INDvAUS. A power packed batting display by Gardner and Harris. These two do hit the ball hard and long…
— Anjum Chopra (@chopraanjum) December 20, 2022
IND 8/1 after 1 over: Shot! Harleen gets off the mark in style with a sumptuous cover drive for four. But a successful start with the ball for the Aussies.
IND 4/1 after 0.4 overs: OUT! A horror start for India as Smriti Mandhana is gone in the first over. The left-hander pulled the first ball away for four but flicks one now straight to square-leg. The CCI goes silent as Brown gets the big wicket. Mandhana walks back for 4 off 4 as Harleen Deol gets a promotion up the order to No 3.
8.32 pm: Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma are at the crease and we’re ready for the chase. Darcie Brown has the new ball in hand. Here we go!
That kick of the ball from Harmanpreet - an on-target pass to Renuka, TBF - in the 20th over of Australia's innings says it all.#INDWvAUSW | #INDvAUS
— Annesha Ghosh (@ghosh_annesha) December 20, 2022
The blue colour is used to highlight the 'impact overs'. The fact that it is in a different colour suggests that it is NOT meant to be the norm, in a way. But when Ashleigh Gardner and Grace Harris decided to tee off, 'impact' is the new normal. Stupendous partnership. #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/9Wg8pPfusp
— S. Sudarshanan (@Sudarshanan7) December 20, 2022
AUS 196/4 after 20 overs: Goodness GraceGardner!!! 129-run partnership is 10.2 overs. Two fours in the last over for Gardner off Renuka.
AUS: 67/4 after 9.4 overs
AUS: 196/4 after 20 overs.
AUS 184/4 after 19 overs: A rash throw from Deepti for what is I think the third overthrow for four today from India. And then two more fours off the bat too in that over.
AUS 171/4 after 18 overs: A bye four as Richa lets one through her legs for what would have been a rare dot ball. And then Harris, Gardner go big. Both reach supremely good half centuries.
Ash doing Ash things!
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) December 20, 2022
Her partnership alongside Grace Harris has grown to 104 off 50 runs #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/2FkdxfhECR
Grace Harris, what a weapon!
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) December 20, 2022
Crucial half-century to get the Aussies back on track #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/44kZb2TF8S
AUS 154/4 after 17 overs: A 10-run over at this stage feels like a relief for India. A four each for Harris and Gardner in that Deepti over.
AUS 144/4 after 16 overs: As if not wanting to be left behind, a six and four for Gardner in that Vaidya over.
Everything is good and then Grace gracefully starts pulling the game away!! #WhatAPlayer #INDvAUS
— Reema Malhotra (@ReemaMalhotra8) December 20, 2022
GracePowerExtremeHarris. https://t.co/Ovy0XfJXXx
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) December 20, 2022
AUS 129/4 after 15 overs: Absolutely ridiculous from Grace Harris. Radha Yadav finally comes into the attack and she has been smashed for two sixes.
AUS 115/4 after 14 overs: A four and six for Harris off Gayakwad. Some hitting this.
#INDvAUS
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) December 20, 2022
In-form Ellyse Perry falls... Australia's top four out... score at 67/4 after 9.4 overs... good stuff from India, yeah?
Ash Gardner and Grace Harris casually score from 48 runs from the next 26 balls.https://t.co/LAiGrmA449 pic.twitter.com/ov9kA9ldJ2
AUS 103/4 after 13 overs: Sensational from Gardner. Four fours in a row off Anjali as pace off and pace on both doesn’t work. One of those, a poor fielding effort. Just another day of AUS showing off their batting might.
I. C. Y. M. I
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 20, 2022
Anjali Sarvani struck on the first ball she bowled in the match 👏 👏 #TeamIndia | #iNDvAUS
Relive that wicket 🎥 🔽https://t.co/CejhsWLGNy
AUS 84/4 after 12 overs: Solid over from Vaidya. Just 2 singles. Surely she is going to be on that plane to South Africa?
AUS 81/4 after 11 overs: Shafali with one over too many perhaps. Harris is once again off to a mini flier.
Every wicket in the Australian batting lineup till about 9 has felt like good news/bad news only forever. 😭 https://t.co/rYOYrX1sMb
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) December 20, 2022
WICKET! 9.4: Ellyse Perry 18(14) ct Harleen Deol b Devika Vaidya Just as we were thinking Perry looks in prime form again, she holes out to long on! HUGE WICKET. Vaidya strikes in her first, Deol juggles but holds on. Dropping that would have been super costly. Australia 67/4
AUS 64/3 after 9 overs: Gayakwad concedes a four off the first ball but comes back well enough.
Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Devika Vaidya, Harleen Deol, & Harmanpreet Kaur all spin options are available.
— Jeet Vachharajani (Women's 🏏) (@Jeetv27WC) December 20, 2022
But it's India mystery spinner in Shafali Verma who bamboozled the Aussie skipper.😄
WICKET! 7.5: Tahlia McGrath 26(26) st Richa Ghosh b Shafali Verma India’s U19 stars combine. After getting hit for a four, Shafali strikes back with one that skids through an advancing McGrath. Easy stumping, Richa makes up for the dropped catch quickly. Australia 55/3
st Richa Ghosh b Shafali Verma
— S. Sudarshanan (@Sudarshanan7) December 20, 2022
Can there be a better way to kick off the Under-19 Women's #T20WorldCup season for India? #INDvAUS
AUS 49/2 after 7 overs: Oh dear. Richa Ghosh drops an outside edge from McGrath. And shortly after Perry survives a run out chance where the direct hit was needed from Deepti but it misses and the backing up is poor, goes for four extra.
AUS 42/2 after 6 overs: Australia’s score went from 24 to 42 in the 6th over, and just like that, Tahlia McGrath’s batting also takes a 180° turn. Goes from 2 off 12 to 19 off 18. Huge shots, over cover and down long on for six. And just like that, Australia make it a decent powerplay. Expensive from Deepti.
McGrath on 2 off 12 now, should be looking to go big next over.
AUS 24/2 after 5 overs: Terrific over from Anjali. A big LBW appeal off Perry too, might have been inside edge.
AUS 22/2 after 4 overs: The sign of what form Perry is in. First ball four.
Just a 4 off the first ball this time. Ellyse Perry's strike rate after 1 ball has dropped, tbvh imho. https://t.co/9JeMvDt0Go
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) December 20, 2022
WICKET! 3.3: Phoebe Litchfield 11(9) st Richa Ghosh b Deepti Sharma Deepti Sharma strikes! Both openers are back in the pavilion. Terrific delivery to beat Litchfield with flight and turn, Richa Ghosh does the stumping. Australia 17/2
Back-to-back beauts from Deepti Sharma, the 2nd one a wicket. Dream off-spinner stuff. #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/7ch1nc0wCe
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) December 20, 2022
Deepti Sharma in. Surprising a little bit. Tahlia McGrath has struggled against the ball coming back in.
AUS 17/1 after 3 overs: There’s a maiden over. Two shots at least from McGrath that seemed well timed but hit straight to fielders. But solid line and length from Thakur otherwise.
AUS 17/1 after 2 overs: Tahlia, captain, is the new batter in. Litchfield gets the first “six” of her career. A throw from deep deflects off her and goes for four after they had run two.
WICKET! 1.1: Beth Mooney 2(4) b Anjali Sarvani Chopped on! Often this series Anjali has seen inside edges miss the stumps but not today. And it’s the big wicket of Beth Mooney. Adds to the wickets of Tahlia McGrath and Ellyse Perry earlier in the series. Australia 8/1
Geez that is a long time ago. Also means that @ahealy77 is a gun & old 😂🤣 https://t.co/GbCYJbvOZ6
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) December 20, 2022
Anjali Sarvani next. Left-arm pacer bowling to two left-arm openers. Wonder how many times that has happened in women’s T20Is.
AUS 8/0 after 1 over: Oh, Renuka beats Mooney with a delightful delivery from around the wicket. Straightens after pitching. Litchfield gets going with a gorgeous straight drive for four. Uff.
Meanwhile, here’s a glimpse of Litchfield practising pre-series.
Reverse sweeps, switch hits, and some classic shots in between all that. https://t.co/YZQxF1XN6k
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) December 8, 2022
Play.
One last crack in Mumbai.
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) December 20, 2022
It's been a pleasure! #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/2zMrIEh8l5
6.59 pm: Litchfield and Mooney in the middle. The youngster will be batting for the first time in Australian cricket, having not batted on her debut. Renuka Singh with the ball in hand.
Harmanpreet Kaur at toss: Last game we really played well. Today we are going to go for a extra spinner to help stop some runs. We wanted to play free cricket and keep improving day by day and we have achieved that. Jemi is resting, for Gayakwad.
Team news: Australia will be opening with Litchfield and Mooney it would seem.
6.47 pm: We will wait for the toss video to hear if Harmanpreet has a reason for the one change today but must admit, it is not a surprise to see Jemimah Rodrigues miss out. She has looked out of sorts in this series and even coming into the series, was short on runs during the domestic season and the WBBL before that. The Asia Cup must feel like a fair while ago for her now.
Wouldn't have been a bad idea for India to bat first today, methinks. On a good batting surface, could have tested how they go about with setting a target. #INDvAUS
— S. Sudarshanan (@Sudarshanan7) December 20, 2022
Playing XIs:
India XI: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Devika Vaidya, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Anjali Sarvani, Renuka Thakur, Rajeshwari Gayakwad
Australia XI: Beth Mooney (wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (c), Ashleigh Gardner, Ellyse Perry, Grace Harris, Annabel Sutherland, Heather Graham, Alana King, Kim Garth, Darcie Brown
Team news: Looks like India have dropped Jemimah Rodrigues after her string of low scores. Official team news awaited.
#INDvAUS
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) December 20, 2022
That is some streak... Harmanpreet Kaur (yep, left-handed again) wins four tosses in a row. Hope she hasn't exhausted her luck before the World Cup 😅https://t.co/LAiGrmhUQ1 pic.twitter.com/PydRlCbRlJ
TOSS: India won the toss and elected to field. (Wow, Harmanpreet Kaur wins four tosses in a row!)
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the fifth and final T20 International between India and Australia, taking place at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Co look to finish the series on a high, after the Aussies clinched a 3-1 lead earlier. Alyssa Healy will be missing in action today and Tahlia McGrath will lead the side in her stead. Will be interesting to see if India make any changes or go full tilt to finish the series on a respectable note.
India vs Australia, 4th T20I as it happened: Visitors ride on Ellyse Perry’s knock to win by 7 runs
Match-Ready! 👍👍
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 20, 2022
We are inching closer to the 5⃣th & final #INDvAUS T20I ⌛️#TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/w0mvyYz67e
India’s squad for the T20I series against Australia: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh Thakur, Meghna Singh, Anjali Sarvani, Devika Vaidya, S Meghana, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Harleen Deol.
Net bowlers: Monika Patel, Arundhati Reddy, SB Pokharkar, Simran Bahadur.
Australia’s squad for the T20I series against India: Alyssa Healy (c-ruled out for 5th match), Tahlia McGrath (vc-stand-in captain), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland.