Mackay (Australia): Leg-spinner Prema Rawat’s three-wicket haul went in vain as Australia A, riding on a half-century from middle-order batter Anika Learoyd, defeated India A by 13 runs in the first women’s T20 match here on Thursday.
The India A team is in Australia for a multi-format series, which includes three T20s, an equal number of 50-over games, and a one-off unofficial Test.
Chasing Australia A’s 137/6, India A, led by seasoned spinner Radha Yadav, could not forge a match-winning partnership with the home team restricting them to 124/5 to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Electing to field, India A did well to restrict the hosts to a below-par score, thanks chiefly to the efforts of Prema Yadav, who got rid of dangerous opener Tahlia Wilson (17), Courtney Webb (11) and captain-cum-wicketkeeper Nicole Faltum (11) to return figures of 3/14 in four overs.
Veteran opener and one of the most devastating Australian players, Alyssa Healy (27) was the first to depart, caught by Saima Thakor off spinner Sajeevan Sajana. The two early wickets put Australia A in a spot of bother but the home team picked up the momentum with one-down batter Anika Learoyd striking an unbeaten 44-ball 50, studded with seven boundaries.
Even as wickets kept falling at the other end, Learoyd, who plays for Sydney Thunder in the WBBL, kept pushing the scoreboard to give the home team bowlers a chance to fight back.
However, India A could not get going with charismatic opener Shafali Verma, who recently came back into the national side in the five-match T20I series against England and played a key role in India’s historic series win, departing for 3 runs.
India were unable to accelerate their scoring with Australia A pacers Amy Edgar (2/23) and Sianna Ginger (2/26) tying them down.
Uma Chetry (31) and young all-rounder Raghvi Bist (33) helped the visitors push the scoreboard beyond 100 but the final flourish was missing as skipper Radha Yadav (26 not out off 22 balls) and Sajana (7 not out off 11 balls) could not take the team past the home team’s total.
Brief scores: Australia A Women 137/6 in 20 overs (Alyssa Healy 27, Anika Learoyd 50; Prema Rawat 3/15) beat India A Women 124/5 in 20 overs (Uma Chetry 31, Raghvi Bist 33, Radha Yadav 26 not out; Amy Edgar 2/23, Sianna Ginger 2/26).
