India will look to their star batters to deliver in unison against a seasoned Australian attack in the third and final women’s T20 International on Saturday, as they chase a historic maiden bilateral series win in Australia.
Although the Indian women have secured individual victories Down Under in the past, they are yet to clinch a series across formats on Australian soil. A collective batting performance will be key if they are to rewrite history.
The onus will be on openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, who got starts in the previous game but failed to convert them into substantial scores. Their inability to capitalise hurt India during what appeared to be a manageable chase of 164 in the second T20I.
Australia’s experienced trio of Kim Garth, Annabel Sutherland and Sophie Molineux seized the momentum in that match, triggering a collapse that saw India lose five wickets for just seven runs.
Conditions in Adelaide, however, are expected to be more batting-friendly than Canberra. The pitch traditionally offers truer bounce and the quick outfield rewards strokeplay, which should suit India’s line-up.
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Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, along with Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh, will relish the ball coming onto the bat and could play decisive roles in the middle order.
However, the even nature of the surface also places added responsibility on India’s pacers — Renuka Singh, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Goud and Amanjot Kaur — to maintain discipline. Australia’s powerful batting unit is capable of punishing any inconsistency.
Among the biggest threats is rising opener Georgia Voll, who has stepped into the void left by the retirements of Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy with impressive composure. The 22-year-old has quickly established herself at the top of the order.
India’s bowlers will need to curb Voll early, while spinners Deepti Sharma and Sree Charani must apply pressure through the middle overs. Containing power-hitters such as Sutherland, Ash Gardner and Phoebe Litchfield after the Powerplay will be equally crucial.
With history within reach, India have an opportunity to script a landmark moment — but it will require a complete performance with bat and ball.
Match starts at 1.45 pm IST.