Australia’s women’s cricket team faced a disheartening collapse, bowled out for just 133 runs in 18 overs during their match against India in Sydney. New captain Sophie Molineux remained unbeaten, but the much-anticipated batting line-up faltered dramatically, crumbling from a promising 87-5 at the halfway point to 133 all out, losing their last five wickets for a mere 46 runs.
India’s bowlers put on a masterclass of tight bowling, led by Arundhati Reddy, who took four wickets. The Australian innings started strong, but soon fell apart as Reddy and her teammates found their rhythm, causing a string of wickets to tumble rapidly. The situation worsened as both Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner, experienced players, failed to convert their starts into substantial scores, contributing to the team’s evident struggles.
In the early overs, Australia looked to be in a commanding position, with Georgia Voll and Phoebe Litchfield scoring 14 and 26 runs respectively. However, the Indian bowlers, particularly Renuka Singh, capitalized on every opportunity, leaving the home side reeling from a crucial middle-order collapse.
The batting lineup, which included several players returning to the T20 format after the Women’s Premier League, will need to regroup and strategize after this disappointing performance. With many eyes on Molineux’s captaincy debut, the hope is that the team can learn from this experience and come back stronger in future matches, taking lessons from both their strengths and weaknesses on display against a formidable Indian side that took full advantage of the conditions.
As the series progresses, Australia will seek to reclaim their composure and utilize their depth in batting to bounce back.