AUS-W vs IND-W 3rd T20I: Smriti Mandhana Hits Fifty; India Women Reach 121/1 After 14 Overs
Smriti Mandhana's unbeaten fifty anchors India's strong start after early loss of Shafali Verma, building momentum in series decider.
India Women posted a strong position in the decisive third T20I against Australia Women at the Adelaide Oval on February 21, 2026, reaching 121/1 after 14 overs, led by vice-captain Smriti Mandhana's fine half-century. Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bat first in this series decider, with the T20I leg tied 1-1 following India's rain-affected victory in the opener and Australia's bounce-back in Canberra.
The Indian innings began with an early setback as opener Shafali Verma fell for 7 in the second over, dismissed by Kim Garth. However, Mandhana quickly steadied the ship and built a dominant unbroken partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues. Mandhana, showcasing her trademark elegance and aggression, brought up her half-century with a mix of boundaries and calculated strikes, including powerful sweeps and pulls against the Australian bowlers. Rodrigues complemented her well, rotating the strike and finding gaps to keep the scoreboard ticking.
This stand has propelled India towards a competitive total on a pitch that has offered some assistance to bowlers but also rewarded positive batting. Mandhana's knock has been particularly crucial, as she anchored the innings while accelerating in the middle overs, putting pressure on Australia's attack featuring the likes of Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, and Georgia Wareham. The partnership has crossed significant milestones, providing momentum heading into the latter stages.
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The match carries high stakes, as a win for India would mark a rare series triumph on Australian soil—their first in women's T20Is since 2016—while Australia aim to reclaim dominance in the multi-format series context. With Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, and Harmanpreet Kaur still to come, India will look to capitalize on this platform for a big finish.
Australia's bowlers have struggled to break through after the early wicket, with Mandhana and Rodrigues displaying excellent footwork and shot selection. The home side will need quick breakthroughs in the remaining overs to restrict India below a par score and set up a strong chase in front of the Adelaide crowd.
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