Batting let India down once again as they collapsed like a pack of cards to suffer a 44-run loss to Australia in a low-scoring Women's T20 World Cup warm-up match in Cape Town on Monday. (More Cricket News)
Asked to field, the Indian bowlers blew away the Australian top order, but tail-enders Georgia Wareham (32) and Jess Jonassen's (22) unbeaten 50-run partওnership powered Australia to 129 for 8.
In reply, the Indian batters w🌼ere skittled out for 85 in 15 overs.
It was the second consecutive time that batting has let down India. The 'Women in Blue'🗹 had suffered a similar collapse in the Tri-Series final last week against South Africa.
Pacer Darcie Brown (4/17) was the wrecker-in-chief as she cleaned up the Indian top order, taking the vital scalps of Shafal♌i Verma (2), Smriti Mandhana (0) and Richa Ghosh (5).
The woeful run of Jemimah Rodrig𒆙ues, who opened the innings alongside Shafali, continued as she was out on nought while skipper Harmanpreet Kaur did not bat.
Harleen Doel (12) showed some intent, hitting two fours before succumbing to a run out while Deepti Sharma was the top scorer as the all-rounder remained unbeaten on 19. She could have taken Iꦛndia over the line had someone stayed with her till the end.
Earlier, veteran pacer Shikha Pandey (2/9) struck in her first two oveღrs to send Australia skipper🦂 Meg Lanning (0) and Tahlia McGrath (2) packing.
A run out by Radha Yadav spelt the end of Ellyse Perry (1) as Aust🌳ralia were reeling at 10 for 3.
Ash Gardner (22) and Beth Mooney (28) provided some resi𓃲stance, but Pooja Vastrakar (2/16) and Radha Yadav (2/22) ran through the middle order.
Renuka Singh, who had an off d꧟ay, was the most expensive bowler for Ind😼ia, giving away 39 runs in three overs.
But the Indians couldn't break the partnership between Wareham and Jonass♔en who shared five fours and three sixes between🦄 them.
