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NDTV
15 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Prema Rawat, Radha Yadav Grab Three Wickets Each But India A Lose Final T20 To Australia A
Poor execution with the bat undid India A's superb bowling performance as Australia A made a clean sweep of three-match unofficial Women's T20 series, defeating the visitors by four runs in a thrilling match at Mackay, Australia on Sunday. Chasing a gettable 144/8 set by the hosts, India's middle and lower-order batters failed miserably to be restricted to 140/8 after leg spinner Prema Rawat and left-armer Radha Yadav gave their team the best chance in the series by grabbing three wickets apiece. This was Rawat's second three-wicket haul in the multi-format series and it prepared the platform for the batters, led by Shafali Verma, to make a match of it. Shafali finally fired after successive single-digit scores in the previous two games at the same venue but her 41-run contribution (25 balls) was not good enough on the day as she perished to young Brisbane Heat pacer Sianna Ginger, who emerged the wrecker-in-chief for the home team by taking four wickets for just 18 runs. India shuffled its top order a bit by sending Dinesh Vrinda to open with Shafali, instead of keeper-batter Uma Chetry, who came in at one-down. However, the experiment failed as Vrinda perished for just four runs and Chetry followed her back into the dressing room soon after as India A were reduced to 16/2. Shafali and Raghvi Bist (25) forged a 43-run stand for the third wicket before the former departed, bringing in India A's spin-bowling all-rounder Minnu Mani at the crease. The 48-run stand between Bist and Mani saw India A get past the 100-run mark, raising hopes of a consolation win. But those hopes were dashed when the Bist was also consumed by Ginger, leaving the visitors at 107/4. Her dismissal, it seemed, took the fight out of the India A side as it lost wickets in a heap, with the likes of national team stalwart Radha Yadav (12), Tanuj Kanwar (1), all-rounder Sajeevan Sajana (3) going in quick succession as the visitors lost the plot in the last over, when they had to score 15 runs. In fact, Ginger took two wickets, that of Radha and Sajana, in the 19th over to make things virtually impossible for India A. Australia A, following their 114-run win in the previous game, were challenged by the Indian spinners, who opened up a window of opportunity by bowling impeccable line and length. Batting stalwart Alyssa Healy departed for 27 after a dazzling 70-run innings in the last game before Prema and Radha ran through the top and middle-order. Prema, who had taken three wickets in the opener, was the most destructive, getting rid off prolific young run-getter Anika Learoyd (22) early besides Courtney Webb (1) and the dangerous Madeline Penna (39) as Australia A were restricted to a below-par score. The three-match unofficial one-day series will commence in Brisbane on Wednesday.
Mint
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Mint
Prema, Radha grab three wickets each but India A lose final T20 to Australia A
Mackay (Australia), Aug 10 (PTI) Poor execution with the bat undid India A's superb bowling performance as Australia A made a clean sweep of three-match unofficial Women's T20 series, defeating the visitors by four runs in a thrilling match here on Sunday. Chasing a gettable 144/8 set by the hosts, India's middle and lower-order batters failed miserably to be restricted to 140/8 after leg spinner Prema Rawat and left-armer Radha Yadav gave their team the best chance in the series by grabbing three wickets apiece. This was Rawat's second three-wicket haul in the multi-format series and it prepared the platform for the batters, led by Shafali Verma, to make a match of it. Shafali finally fired after successive single-digit scores in the previous two games at the same venue but her 41-run contribution (25 balls) was not good enough on the day as she perished to young Brisbane Heat pacer Sianna Ginger, who emerged the wrecker-in-chief for the home team by taking four wickets for just 18 runs. India shuffled its top order a bit by sending Dinesh Vrinda to open with Shafali, instead of keeper-batter Uma Chetry, who came in at one-down. However, the experiment failed as Vrinda perished for just four runs and Chetry followed her back into the dressing room soon after as India A were reduced to 16/2. Shafali and Raghvi Bist (25) forged a 43-run stand for the third wicket before the former departed, bringing in India A's spin-bowling all-rounder Minnu Mani at the crease. The 48-run stand between Bist and Mani saw India A get past the 100-run mark, raising hopes of a consolation win. But those hopes were dashed when the Bist was also consumed by Ginger, leaving the visitors at 107/4. Her dismissal, it seemed, took the fight out of the India A side as it lost wickets in a heap, with the likes of national team stalwart Radha Yadav (12), Tanuj Kanwar (1), all-rounder Sajeevan Sajana (3) going in quick succession as the visitors lost the plot in the last over, when they had to score 15 runs. In fact, Ginger took two wickets, that of Radha and Sajana, in the 19th over to make things virtually impossible for India A. Australia A, following their 114-run win in the previous game, were challenged by the Indian spinners, who opened up a window of opportunity by bowling impeccable line and length. Batting stalwart Alyssa Healy departed for 27 after a dazzling 70-run innings in the last game before Prema and Radha ran through the top and middle-order. Prema, who had taken three wickets in the opener, was the most destructive, getting rid off prolific young run-getter Anika Learoyd (22) early besides Courtney Webb (1) and the dangerous Madeline Penna (39) as Australia A were restricted to a below-par score. The three-match unofficial one-day series will commence in Brisbane on Wednesday. Australia A: 144/8 in 20 overs (Madeline Penna 39; Radha Yadav 3/31, Prema Rawat 3/24) India A: 140/8 in 20 overs (Shafali Verma 41, Minnu Mani 30; Sianna Ginger 4/16).
News18
17 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
Prema, Radha grab three wickets each but India A lose final T20 to Australia A
Mackay (Australia), Aug 10 (PTI) Poor execution with the bat undid India A's superb bowling performance as Australia A made a clean sweep of three-match unofficial Women's T20 series, defeating the visitors by four runs in a thrilling match here on Sunday. Chasing a gettable 144/8 set by the hosts, India's middle and lower-order batters failed miserably to be restricted to 140/8 after leg spinner Prema Rawat and left-armer Radha Yadav gave their team the best chance in the series by grabbing three wickets apiece. This was Rawat's second three-wicket haul in the multi-format series and it prepared the platform for the batters, led by Shafali Verma, to make a match of it. Shafali finally fired after successive single-digit scores in the previous two games at the same venue but her 41-run contribution (25 balls) was not good enough on the day as she perished to young Brisbane Heat pacer Sianna Ginger, who emerged the wrecker-in-chief for the home team by taking four wickets for just 18 runs. India shuffled its top order a bit by sending Dinesh Vrinda to open with Shafali, instead of keeper-batter Uma Chetry, who came in at one-down. However, the experiment failed as Vrinda perished for just four runs and Chetry followed her back into the dressing room soon after as India A were reduced to 16/2. Shafali and Raghvi Bist (25) forged a 43-run stand for the third wicket before the former departed, bringing in India A's spin-bowling all-rounder Minnu Mani at the crease. The 48-run stand between Bist and Mani saw India A get past the 100-run mark, raising hopes of a consolation win. But those hopes were dashed when the Bist was also consumed by Ginger, leaving the visitors at 107/4. Her dismissal, it seemed, took the fight out of the India A side as it lost wickets in a heap, with the likes of national team stalwart Radha Yadav (12), Tanuj Kanwar (1), all-rounder Sajeevan Sajana (3) going in quick succession as the visitors lost the plot in the last over, when they had to score 15 runs. In fact, Ginger took two wickets, that of Radha and Sajana, in the 19th over to make things virtually impossible for India A. Australia A, following their 114-run win in the previous game, were challenged by the Indian spinners, who opened up a window of opportunity by bowling impeccable line and length. Batting stalwart Alyssa Healy departed for 27 after a dazzling 70-run innings in the last game before Prema and Radha ran through the top and middle-order. Prema, who had taken three wickets in the opener, was the most destructive, getting rid off prolific young run-getter Anika Learoyd (22) early besides Courtney Webb (1) and the dangerous Madeline Penna (39) as Australia A were restricted to a below-par score. The three-match unofficial one-day series will commence in Brisbane on Wednesday. Brief Scores: Australia A: 144/8 in 20 overs (Madeline Penna 39; Radha Yadav 3/31, Prema Rawat 3/24) India A: 140/8 in 20 overs (Shafali Verma 41, Minnu Mani 30; Sianna Ginger 4/16). PTI AM AM AT AT view comments First Published: August 10, 2025, 17:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Fielding improvement key to wins in England: Mithali Raj
Chandigarh: The India women's cricket team created history on the recent tour of England, winning both T20I and the ODI series. Mithali Raj, the former captain and legend, analyses the triumphs and looks ahead to the series against Australia and the ODI World Cup India will host later in the year in this interview to HT. Former Indian captain Mithali Raj believes India fielded much better in crucial moments against England and that became a decisive factor. (PTI) Excerpts: How do you see the series wins even though England did not field their strongest teams in both? Wins in England are always valuable, regardless of the (quality of the) opposition. The conditions demand adaptability and I thought the team handled that well. What stood out was the clarity in roles and a noticeable improvement in fielding: areas that often go under the radar but matter immensely in a long tournament. With the World Cup approaching, building consistency and depth across departments is key, and this tour showed promising signs in that direction. With ODI opener Pratika Rawal struggling, do you think Shafali Varma's experience can help against Australia and in the World Cup? Shafali can change a game in a few overs but what pleased me was how she paced her innings. That is an area she has worked on: learning to construct an innings, not just attack. As for Pratika, she's still early in her international journey. These initial experiences — even the tough ones — are crucial for development. Against Australia, Shafali's experience will be vital, provided she continues to find the right balance between freedom and responsibility. After long, captain Harmanpreet Kaur hit form scoring a match-winning century in the final ODI. Your thoughts on her form and her importance to the team's consistency? Harman finding form is great news. She brings a lot to the middle-order — not just with the bat, but also in the way she manages the game. That hundred in the last ODI was timely and well-paced. India needs her experience, especially in tight situations. Hopefully, she can maintain that consistency going forward. It will be crucial as we head into the World Cup. How was it mentoring Andhra Pradesh's women's domestic teams, and how do you prepare for the upcoming season? What did you make of Shree Charani's performances in England? Mentoring the Andhra team has been fulfilling. We've been focused on building a professional, performance-oriented culture with structure and long-term development in mind. Shree Charani's performance in England in T20Is and ODIs stood out. Her calmness under pressure and adaptability across conditions reflect her growing maturity. The exposure she got playing the WPL has definitely helped her. How important has the WPL been in scouting talent and elevating performance? The WPL has been a huge step forward for India. It's not just a platform for showcasing talent, it accelerates growth. When players share a dressing room with international stars, they learn more than just technique, how to prepare, handle pressure and think about the game tactically. It raises the overall standard and that reflects in domestic and international performances. Amanjot Kaur and Radha Yadav have spoken about fearless attitude. Did you notice that in England? Fearlessness is a good quality but it has to be combined with game awareness. Beating England in England is never easy, so it is a massive morale boost before the home World Cup and the home series against Australia. That said, England had a new captain and head coach with a number of player rotations. Heather Knight did not play, Nat Sciver-Brunt didn't bowl, which left Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean as the only experienced bowlers. To me, the big difference between the two teams was the fielding. India fielded much better in crucial moments, and that became a decisive factor. As far as beating Australia goes, fearlessness alone won't be enough. What is impressive about Australia is that they play hard, competitive cricket. They know how to maintain intensity till the end. So yes, while fearlessness is good, game awareness, preparedness and the ability to absorb pressure are just as important. If we can combine all of that, and use home advantage and conditions wisely, we can beat Australia. India have been facing challenges in the pace department due to injuries. Amanjot and Kranti Goud showed promise. How should India address this? Pace bowling is an area where depth and durability are needed. Injuries to frontline pacers have hurt us but it's encouraging to see players like Amanjot and Kranti stepping up. Kranti is young, bowls around 114–116 km and you can see the intent which is a very positive sign. We need a well-managed pace rotation system and more exposure for emerging pacers to international conditions. Most importantly, fitness needs to be a priority for medium-pacers. And long-term, we need to identify and develop bowlers who can consistently hit 120+ km. Do you see this as India's best chance to win their first World Cup? There is definitely an opportunity here. We have a strong core, and playing at home is an advantage if we manage the pressure well. In this series, especially in the third ODI, there were moments when England pushed back — during the Sciver-Brunt–Lamb partnership and later when Dean and Davidson-Richards counter-attacked. But India stayed calm and responded at the right time. In a World Cup, it is those pressure moments that decide outcomes. If we can hold our nerve, trust our game, and use the home conditions smartly, we will give ourselves a real chance.
News18
17-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
Shafali Verma Back In Top 10 Of ICC Women's T20I Rankings After England Series
Last Updated: Shafali Verma re-entered the top 10 in ICC Women's T20I Rankings after scoring 176 runs in the series, leading India to a 3-2 win. Smriti Mandhana remains top-ranked Indian batter. India opener Shafali Verma has re-entered the top 10 batters in the latest ICC Women's T20I Player Rankings released on Tuesday. Shafali was the youngest cricketer to make her debut in a Women's T20I match for India. She got her first cap at the age of 15. She is also the youngest player to complete a haul of 1000 runs in the T20I format. Under Shafali's leadership, India won the 2023 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup. She wrapped up the five-match T20I series with 176 runs at a strike rate of 158.56, making her the second-highest run-getter behind fellow opener Smriti Mandhana. At 21, Shafali shone with the bat, top-scoring with 75 off 41 in India's last-ball defeat, and has jumped four spots to ninth place with 655 points. Mandhana, the highest-ranked Indian batter in the shortest format, remains in third place after amassing 221 runs in five innings to finish as the highest run-getter. Harmanpreet Kaur's side won the series 3-2, creating history. Jemimah Rodrigues dropped two places to 14th after scoring just 108 runs across the series, including a half-century. India captain Harmanpreet, who scored 65 in four games, stayed in 15th spot. Another key contributor to India's series win was Arundhati Reddy, who snapped up six wickets during the series. Arundhati, who took two wickets in the final T20I, jumped four spots to 39th place in the bowling rankings and rose 26 spots to 80th among the all-rounders. Several England stars also made positive strides. Spinner Charlie Dean broke into the top 10 bowling rankings after a Player of the Match performance, taking 3-23 in the last match. She leapt eight spots to share sixth place with Nashra Sandhu and Georgia Wareham. Linsey Smith gained nine places to 38th, while pacer Issy Wong jumped seven places to 50th. Emily Arlott, who debuted for England earlier this summer against the West Indies, improved 15 places to 67th. Sophia Dunkley, England's top scorer with 151 runs, gained seven points to reach 19th place in the Batting Rankings after contributions of 22 and 46 in the last two games. Meanwhile, opener Tammy Beaumont continued her recent surge, jumping 19 places to the 45th spot. With IANS Inputs view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
