India registered a historic second bilateral T20I series victory over Australia with a 17-run victory in the deciding third match of the series on Saturday, February 21 at the Adelaide Oval. After opting to bat first, India posted their second-highest T20I total in the country as they finished on 176/6, riding on the brilliant knocks of Smriti Mandhana (82 off 55) and Jemimah Rodrigues (59 off 46).
In reply, Australia were restricted to 159/9 in their 20 overs as Shreyanka Patil (3/22) and Shree Charani (3/32) claimed three wickets apiece. As a result, India secured only their second bilateral series win over Australia, handing their opponents a rare series defeat after three years.
AUSW vs INDW 3rd T20I Update
India last beat Australia in a bilateral series in 2016, while Australia’s previous T20I defeat at home came in 2017 against New Zealand. India’s win also ended Australia’s run of seven consecutive T20I series wins, with their last series loss coming during the 2023 Ashes.
India’s defense got off to the most bizarre start as Renuka Singh Thakur conceded 18 runs in their opening match. However, the Indian bowlers quickly gained control as young spinner Shreyanka Patil (3/22) and speedster Renuka (1/29) tore through the top order to leave Australia at 32 for 3.
Australia were immediately under pressure as openers Georgia Voll (10) and Beth Mooney (6) fell cheaply. Shreyanka struck in the second round to remove Voll, while veteran seamer Renuka accounted for Mooney in the third. Australia fell further into trouble when Patil bowled Ellyse Perry cleanly for 1, leaving the hosts at 32 for 3 in four overs.
Ashleigh Gardner (57 off 45 balls) started a spirited fightback with a level half-century but her resistance was eventually broken when Arundhati Reddy struck in the 16th over to tilt the match decisively in India’s favour. Young left-armer Shree Charani (3/32) further underlined her credentials, claiming three crucial wickets to play a pivotal role in sealing India’s historic victory.
Earlier, India endured a bit of a rocky start as Shafali Verma (7) departed early. Mandhana and World Cup hero Rodrigues then took control of the innings. The pair broke free in the sixth through the bowling of left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux, collecting three boundaries in a 14-run burst that firmly put India back on track.
Jemimah, Mandhana saving India
At the end of the over, India were 54 for 1. Both Mandhana and Rodrigues kept the scoreboard ticking over, with the former in a particularly punishing mood. In the ninth game, she faced leg-spinner Georgia Wareham – Wareham’s first – and produced a powerful move that perfectly halved deep square leg and deep mid-wicket.
Mandhana brought up her half-century in stylereaching the milestone off 38 balls with a six off pacer Darcie Brown. She swung across the line and connected sweetly with the second ball from the 12th over to send it over the ropes.
It was her 33rd fifty in international cricket, achieved in her 160th appearance. The century for the second wicket came in just 66 balls, laying a strong platform for a late surge. However, Mandhana fell in the 17th over, dismissed by Annabel Sutherland when she got to deep mid-wicket. Ashleigh Gardner completed a well-judged running catch to end a booming 121-run partnership.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur promoted Richa Ghosh to No.4 and the move paid off as the wicketkeeper-palter played a blistering cameo of 18 off just seven balls. Meanwhile, after the conclusion of the T20I stage, India hold a two-point lead (India – 4 points | Australia – 2 points) in the multi-format series. The two sides will now lock horns in the three-match ODI series starting on February 24.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
February 21, 2026
