Clinical India Women Crush Australia By 9 Wickets In 1st T20I, Go 1-0 Up In Three-Match Series

A resurgent India Women produced a spotless effort to crush Australia by nine wickets in the first T20I and take a vital 1-0 lead in the three-match series in Navi Mumbai on Friday. After Titas Sadhu's career-best figures of four for 17 helped India dismiss Australia for a mere 141, openers Smriti Mandhana (54) and Shafali Verma (64 not out off 44 balls) tore into the visitors with a 137-run stand to deliver an outstanding win for their side at the DY Patil Stadium.

Having missed the last two ODIs against Australia, Shafali stroked her way to her fifth half-century in T20Is, smashing six fours and three sixes with commanding strokes all around the park.

Mandhana too was in her elements, hitting her 27th fifty overall and seventh against Australia, a knock studded with seven fours and a six.

The openers separated only when they were one hit away from getting over the line, but not before etching India's second-best stand for the first wicket.

India finished the match in 17.4 overs, and it was also their biggest win over Australia by margin of wickets.

It was also only the third time Australia lost a T20I by this margin.

Putting their best fielding effort across all matches this home season, India not only showed remarkable improvement but remained clinical throughout to not allow Australia even a sniff.

Sadhu was not the only Indian to enjoy the high of an individual milestone - for she produced the second-best figures for any Indian bowler in T20Is against Australia after Jhulan Goswami's 5 for 11 over a decade ago.

Mandhana became only the second Indian batter after skipper Harmanpreet Kaur - and sixth overall in women's T20Is - to have crossed the 3,000-run mark.

The victory at the start of this three-match rubber also