Australia won the match with a little under two overs remaining. (Source: AP)
Beth Mooney and Elyse Villani’s third wicket partnership did away with any damage that may have been done by Jhulan Goswami. Goswami’s overs were the only times when Australia looked vulnerable. Meg Lanning, in the end, scored the winning runs with a four and that means that Australia have won the first T20I of this tri-series. They have done so in a rather dominant fashion and that will help their net run rate too. India, on the other hand, have a lot of introspection to do. They had a chance of getting a good total up but suffered a collapse between the 13th and 15th over. There were a number of misfields during the Australia innings too.
India Women Vs Australia Women 1st T20 match highlights:
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
A boundary from Meg Lanning and the winning runs are scored. Australia have completely outclassed India and have won the 1st T20I by six wickets with 11 balls to spare.
Meg Lanning looks to finish it off but Poonam manages to bowl five dot balls. They do take a single off the last ball though, Australia need 1 to win.
Rachael Haynes hits a four and that has brought the deficit down to 6. India still not able to find a way past Australia at home.
Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes in the middle and they are chipping away calmly. It would take an almighty collapse from Australia for India to win this now.
Australia need 37 to win off 35 and the captain has brought herself into the attack. India have got a spring in their steps now but Australia still hold the advantage.
Villani deceived by the pace and ends up hitting it back to the bowler. But Poonam had to jump high and hold on to a ball that was going at some speed.
Beth Mooney misses out on a half-century, Jhulan Goswami brought back into the attack and she strikes. It remains an uphill struggle for India, though.
They are coasting along now and India don't really have any answers for them. In fact, India seem to be a level below the Australians in this match. There have been a number of misfields that are costing them dearly. Australia now need 47 to win off 51.
Rumeli Dhar has been brought into the attack and Villani is taking her for runs. 52 partnership now between Mooney and Villani, Australia are cruising along at the moment.
Some sloppy play from both sides. Mooney and Villani look a little nervous in the middle and there have been a couple of yes-and-no moments. India have had their own little fielding bloopers, most notable one being a ball going clean through Veda's hands and legs and running to the boundary. In her defence she was confused by Anuja swooping in front of her as the ball came her way.
A good crowd has now collected at the CCI stadium and they have thus far been treated to a bowling masterclass from Jhulan Goswami. But Australia are ticking the runs away quickly too and Harmanpreet Kaur off-break of Anuja Patil will help stem that flow.
It was looking like Ashleigh Gardener was going to make that firs wicket look like a minor blip in the radar the way she was going but Goswami comes roaring back. Once again, the ball sneaks in between bat and pad and goes straight to the stumps.
She conceded two fours but she responds with an absolute jaffa! Deceives Healy completely as she tries to defend it and the ball sneaks in between bat and pads and hits the top of middle stump.
The opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj remains the biggest contribution to this innings and it did look like India are set for a bigger total than this at the time. But a flurry of wicket between the 10th and 15th overs did not help them one bit. Anuja Patil's assault has helped correct some of the damage done during that period. Smriti Mandhana ended with here highest T20I score of 67.
19th over of the game and Anuja Patil hit a hat-trick of fours off Delissa Kimmince. But the fifth ball is a slow one and Anuja holes out to deep midwicket
Schutt has been brought back into the attack. India have gone from being in a stable position to damage control within the last two overs. The middle order collapses are becoming a recurring problem for them. Veda Krishnamurthy and Anuja Patel in the middle at the moment.
India 100/4 and it is the captain this time. The hosts are unravelling here and Australia closing in just as the business of the innings approaches.
She didn't last long this time. Jemimah Rodrigues goes fine but finds the fielder anyhow, India 100/3
Australia get the prized wicket of the dangerous Smriti Mandhana. She was looking to accelarate but ends up getting caught at mid-on, Gardner picks up her second of the day. 17-year-old Jemimah Rodgrigues now takes her place.
Harmanpreet Kaur out in the middle with Smriti Mandhana and the run rate has taken a little dip now. Mandhana is trying to go big but is unable to find the boundaries as frequently as she was while Mithali was out there.
Mithali Raj charges down the track and looks to hit it towards off side, misses it completely and it is bread and butter stuff for Alyssa Healy.
Smriti Mandhana is taking the attack to the opposition here. She has raced to 28 off 15 balls and her exploits has included a four, six and four off consecutive balls in the third over.
Mithali Raj couldn't get off the mark in the first over but Smriti Mandhana made sure that India made amends in the second over. 12 runs came off it and eight came from two fours hit by Mandhana.
Meg Lanning has decided to chase in this match. Sophie Molineux is making her T20I debut for the Australians. Harmanpreet Kaur confirms that Jhulan Goswami is back, although that hardly needed any confrmation. The match is scheduled to start at 10 AM.