McGrath, Schutt, Harris Absent as Australia Bats First in T20I Opener
The opening T20 International (T20I) match between Australia and India kicked off with Australia batting first after losing the toss. The match, held at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), saw newly appointed Australia captain Sophie Molineux face her first toss in the role. Due to anticipated rain showers, India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, opted to chase.
Key Player Absences for Australia
Australia made significant changes to their lineup for this T20I, marking their first match in this format since March 2022. Notably, co-vice-captain Tahlia McGrath, seasoned pacer Megan Schutt, and hard-hitting batter Grace Harris were all omitted.
However, Australia recalled allrounder Nicola Carey, who last played in December 2022. Molineux, returning from a knee injury, and Ashleigh Gardner, who had missed the last T20I series due to a finger injury, also participated. Alana King, a leg-spinner, was the other notable omission.
Australia’s Playing XI
- Beth Mooney (wk)
- Georgia Voll
- Phoebe Litchfield
- Ellyse Perry
- Ashleigh Gardner
- Georgia Wareham
- Annabel Sutherland
- Nicola Carey
- Sophie Molineux (c)
- Kim Garth
- Darcie Brown
India’s Squad
India retained the same XI that triumphed over the Governor General’s XI. This includes:
- Smriti Mandhana
- Shafali Verma
- Jemimah Rodrigues
- Harmanpreet Kaur (c)
- Richa Ghosh (wk)
- Deepti Sharma
- Arundhati Reddy
- Shreyanka Patil
- Kranti Gaud
- Sree Charani
- Renuka Thakur
Recent Context and Match Format
This T20I marks Australia’s first game since their loss to India in the ODI World Cup semi-final last year. The series will see both teams competing for points that contribute to an overall multi-format series trophy. Each white-ball win awards two points, while a Test victory grants four points.
Upcoming Matches
The T20I series features three matches in total:
- First T20I: February 15 at SCG, 7:15 PM AEDT
- Second T20I: February 19 at Manuka Oval, Canberra, 7:15 PM AEDT
- Third T20I: February 21 at Adelaide Oval, 7:15 PM AEDT
As the teams progress through the series, fans can expect intense competition showcasing some of the best talent in women’s cricket.
