Tess Flintoff tore through the India A top order with figures of 4 for 13, and Australia A chased down a modest target with six wickets in hand to win the first unofficial women’s T20I in New Chandigarh on September 12. India A collapsed to 117 all out, and Australia A completed the chase in 14 overs and sealed the win by six wickets with 36 balls still remaining.
India A’s Top Order Collapses Early
India A chose to bat first after winning the toss, but the decision backfired within the opening overs. Flintoff struck twice inside the first five overs, and removed openers Dinesh Vrinda and Shipra Giri, while Sianna Ginger accounted for skipper Anushka Sharma.
Milly Illingworth then joined the attack in the eighth over and dismissed Niki Prasad off her very first ball, before bowling Shweta Sehrawat with the final delivery of the same over.
Off the next ball, Tejal Hasabnis fell to Charli Knott’s off-spin, with Illingworth taking the catch after Hasabnis had made a quick 22 off 15 balls. India A slipped to 50 for 6 inside nine overs, and the innings never recovered from that position.
Lower Order Offers Brief Resistance
Minnu Mani provided the only real counterattack for India A, and struck three fours and a six in a 14-ball knock of 23 runs. Flintoff dismissed allrounder Tanuja Kanwar in the 12th over to claim her third wicket, and Darcie Brown removed Mani soon after. Sayali Satghare then held one end together and allowed India A to bat out five more overs, though the lower order added just a handful of runs.
Flintoff returned to pick up Jintimani Kalita and finish with four wickets, and Ginger closed out the innings with the last wicket falling off the final ball of the 19th over. India A finished on 117, well below a competitive total on the surface.
Australia A Chase Down the Target with Ease
Chasing 118, Australia A lost two wickets inside the powerplay but never fell behind the required rate. Charli Knott and Katie Mack put together a 43-run partnership that pushed the total well past the halfway mark and effectively closed off any chance of an Indian comeback.
Anushka Sharma broke the stand by dismissing Mack, and she picked up a second wicket soon after when Knott fell for 35. Anika Learoyd stayed unbeaten on 33 off just 19 deliveries, and guided Australia A to the target with six overs and six wickets to spare. The result gave Australia A a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Flintoff’s four-wicket spell stood out as the difference between the two sides, and restricted India A to a total that Australia A’s batters chased down without much trouble. Illingworth’s twin strikes in the eighth over also proved decisive, and removed two of India A’s most experienced batters within the space of two balls. The second unofficial T20I between the two sides will follow as Australia A look to extend their series lead over India A.
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