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The energy at the Manuka Oval in Canberra is electric as India looks to seal a historic series win on Australian soil, headlined by a landmark moment as Beth Mooney breaks Meg Lanning’s all-time record to become her country’s most prolific T20I scorer. Following a clinical 21-run victory (DLS) in the series opener at Sydney, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bowl first, trusting her disciplined bowling unit to exploit the cool evening conditions once again. Australia, now led by Sophie Molineux, has a massive point to prove as they aim to keep the three-match series alive and fine-tune their preparations for the high-intensity season ahead.
Beth Mooney becomes Australia’s T20I queen after surpassing Meg Lanning during Canberra T20I
In the 10th over of the first innings, the Canberra crowd witnessed a historic milestone that cemented Mooney’s legacy as one of the greatest to play the game. With a controlled swipe to deep midwicket off Renuka Singh Thakur (9.5), Mooney took a single to reach 3,406 runs, officially surpassing the legendary Meg Lanning (3,405) to become Australia’s all-time leading run-scorer in Women’s T20Is. The southpaw, who has been a model of consistency since her debut in 2016, achieved this feat in her 114th match, anchoring a dominant 128-run opening partnership with the explosive Georgia Voll. While Voll took the aggressor’s role with a stunning 88, Mooney’s milestone provided the bedrock for Australia’s resurgence after their batting collapse in the first game.
Most Women’s T20I Runs for Australia
| Rank | Player | Runs Scored |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beth Mooney | 3,406* |
| 2 | Meg Lanning | 3,405 |
| 3 | Alyssa Healy | 3,054 |
| 4 | Ellyse Perry | 2,193 |
| 5 | Ashleigh Gardner | 1,415 |
| 6 | Elyse Villani | 1,369 |
Georgia Voll’s masterclass powers Australia to a formidable 163/5
The Australian innings was defined by a spectacular breakout performance from Voll, who hammered a career-best 88 off just 57 balls to dismantle the Indian bowling attack. Partnering with the experienced Beth Mooney, Voll orchestrated a massive 128-run opening stand that saw Australia cruising at over nine runs per over for the majority of the first half.
Voll was particularly aggressive against the Indian spinners, using her reach to sweep and loft over the covers with clinical precision, reaching her half-century in just 31 deliveries. However, India managed a sensational comeback in the final five overs, triggered by Arundhati Reddy, who once again proved to be the partnership-breaker by dismissing both Mooney (46) and eventually Voll in the 17th over.
The death-overs were a showcase of tactical brilliance from the Indian seamers, as Renuka Singh removed Phoebe Litchfield before Sree Charani delivered a tight final over that included two run-outs on the last two balls. Australia, who looked poised to cross the 180-mark at one stage, were restricted to 163/5, leaving India with a clear but demanding target of 164 to claim their first-ever T20I series victory in Australia since 2016.
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: crickettimes.com
