INDw vs AUSw, 2nd T20I: Australia 187 for 1 (Mooney 82*, McGrath 70*, Deepti 1-31) tied with India 187 for 5 (Mandhana 79, Shafali 34, Ghosh 26*, Graham 3-22). India won the Super Over

India handed Australia their first defeat across formats this year, in a match that went into the Super Over, in front of a packed crowd at the DY Patil Stadium. At one point during the first innings, the stadium’s giant screen displayed a figure of 45,238 people, and that number only grew as the game went on.

Devika Vaidya hit a wide yorker past a diving point fielder to help India tie the match and send the game into a Super Over. He was chasing 188 and needed five runs to win the last ball.

Richa Ghosh, batting first in the Super Over, hit a six off Heather Graham’s first ball, but she was caught off the next. India reached 20 after Smriti Mandhana struck the final three balls for 4, 6, and 3.

A victory lap to honour the crowd who were in attendance to support the women in blue

Over 47,000 in attendance for the second T20I who witnessed a thriller here at the DY Patil Stadium 👏 👏

Keep cheering for Women in Blue 👍 👍#TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/CtzdsyhxZu

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 11, 2022

Alyssa Healy hit Renuka Singh’s first ball for four in response, but Renuka hit her third ball to eliminate Ashleigh Garnder. Healy hit a four and a six off the final two balls, but Australia only managed 16 runs.

Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath were at it again, adding 158 for the second wicket to bring Australia’s total to 187 for 1, which seems like a long time ago. India came close with a 49-ball 79 from Mandhana, but Ghosh’s unbeaten 13-ball 26 brought them level. The crowd received the outcome they desired from the hosts in the end.

A packed house. A giant stand. A major victory. An end to a streak.

Healy provides the early impetus

Mooney didn’t get off to the best start, despite what the final score might suggest. She only hit six of nine powerplay balls because her timing was off at first. However, Healy overcame her slowness. She scored a four off Renuka’s first over, followed by two in the second and two more in the third. Healy made sure Australia got off to the right start despite the fact that she fell for 25 out of 15.

M&M knock the wind out of India’s sails

Two batters whose methods of scoring are so dissimilar yet so effective. McGrath, the enforcer, who enjoys vigorously attacking the ball; The accumulator, Mooney, whose brain appears to have a field map printed on it. With a score of 29, they came together at the fall of Healy’s wicket to create Australia’s highest T20I stand.

They did a good job of running between the wickets and hitting boundaries frequently, but the best part was how they used the crease. McGrath and Mooney repeatedly crossed their stumps and were frequently down the track to prevent the Indian bowlers from settling on a single length. Between overs 7 and 16, they scored an additional 98 runs before crushing 43 in the final four. McGrath scored her fourth T20I century, and neither Mooney nor McGrath gave India a chance.

Mandhana goes on an all-out attack

Mandhana hit Gardner for a four in the first over and Kim Garth for three fours in the second when he started the chase in fifth gear. India scored 55 runs in the powerplay, and Shafali provided excellent support for her. In recent times, India’s problem has been in the middle overs, but Mandhana made sure that the equation never got out of hand. Between overs 7 and 15, India scored 78 runs, with the opener scoring the most runs. She wasn’t finished yet. She fulfilled India’s need for her in the Super Over once more.

ALSO READ: England poised for exciting finish against Pakistan in 2nd Test

Oh my Ghosh!

At the age of 19, one can accomplish so many things. Tanking a fast bowler for a straight six-second ball in a high-octane chase at the required rate of more than ten is something that only a few people are able to accomplish. When Ghosh went to bat, India needed 46 runs in 25 balls to win. Mandhana also left shortly after Harmanpreet was dismissed for 21. The teen, on the other hand, remained composed. She eased the pressure by hitting the experienced Gardner with two more sixes in the 18th over, ran well in the final over, and then walked out in the Super Over to start with a maximum. Age is merely a number.