Australia beat India in fifth T20 thanks to Graham’s hat-trick, Gardner’s all-round performance
Heather Graham became the second female cricketer from her country to take a hat-trick in T20 cricket, on whose brilliant performance Australia defeated India in the fifth and final match on Tuesday to clinch the series 4. Won by 1. With the help of unbeaten half-centuries from Ashley Gardner and Grace Harris, Australia scored 196 runs for four wickets. In response, the Indian team was dismissed for 142 runs. Graham took four wickets for eight runs in two overs. He dismissed Devika Vaidya and Radha Yadav on the last two balls of the 13th over and completed the hat-trick by taking the wicket of Renuka Singh on the first ball of the last over.
He took the wicket of Deepti Sharma on the last ball of the same over. Deepti scored the highest 53 runs for India and played 34 balls. The first female cricketer to take a hat-trick in T20 cricket for Australia is fast bowler Megan Schutt, who did this feat in 2018. The Indian innings started aggressively as Smriti Mandhana (4) hit her very first ball for a four but lost her wicket two balls later. Harleen Deol, who came at number three, tried to bat aggressively but was run out.
Shefali Verma also lost her wicket after scoring 13 runs. The match was out of India’s way until skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was dismissed cheaply. Earlier, Indian bowlers took early wickets but after that they did not get success. Harris and Gardner put on an unbeaten 129 off 62 balls to take Australia to their highest score of the series. Gardner scored 66 runs in 32 balls with the help of 11 fours and a six, while Harris scored 64 runs in 35 balls which included six fours and four sixes. Earlier, India won the toss and decided to bowl.
Openers Beth Mooney (two) and Phoebe Litchfield (11) were dismissed cheaply. Captain Tahlia McGrath (26 runs in 26 balls) and Ellyse Perry (18 runs in 14 balls) shared a 38-run partnership for the third wicket. Shafali Verma broke the dangerous partnership when McGrath missed in an attempt to play forward and Richa Ghosh made a smart stumping. An over later, Perry was caught by Harleen Deol off Devika Vaidya in an attempt to play a big shot.
After this, Gardner and Harris did not give any chance to the Indian bowlers. He scored runs in the way he wanted. Harris completed his half-century by hitting Renuka Singh for a six in the 18th over. One ball after this, Gardner completed his fifty in 25 balls. The Indian bowlers could not maintain the initial rhythm and the poor fielding did the right thing.
