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Harmanpreet Kaur and Shreyanka Patil (Source: Twitter)
In a closely contested match at the DY Patil Stadium, the Indian women's cricket team suffered a setback, losing to Australia by six wickets in the second T20I, thereby levelling the series at 1-1. After batting first, India posted a score of 130/8, with Deepti Sharma playing a crucial role with 31 runs. Despite her notable efforts with both bat and ball, including a commendable bowling spell that yielded two wickets, India's proved to be insufficient against the strong Australian team.
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In a nail-biting finish, the Australian team chased down the target in the penultimate over. But the incident which is being criticized by the fans is from India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. Speaking after the match, Harmanpreet mentioned that if the young spinner Shreyanka Patil had been on target in the 19th over, the outcome could have been different.
"[While Bowling] we were getting those opportunities and taking wickets in the middle, that's a positive. If Shreyanka was on target in the 19th over, things would have been different but these close games help to identify areas to improve. We have played these games a lot of time but this time we have a few new faces, this young side is looking very positive and I'm sure they will keep improving," Harmanpreet said.
Australia scored 17 runs in the penultimate over to level the series
In pursuit of the target, the Australian side, propelled by strong performances from openers Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney, along with a crucial partnership between Ellyse Perry and Tahlia McGrath, and maintained pressure on the Indian bowlers. Phoebe Litchfield also played a significant role in ensuring no further setbacks in the chase. The match reached a climactic moment in the penultimate over bowled by Shreyanka Patil, with Australia requiring 15 runs from 12 balls.
A full toss from Patil was skillfully scooped for a four by Litchfield, setting the stage for Perry to hit the winning runs in her 300th international match. This sealed the game for Australia with six wickets in hand. With this now the series sets up for an exciting finish to treat the fans and raise the competitive level of the series.