[Watch] Smriti Mandhana Left Stunned By McGrath's DRS Masterstroke, Molineux Strikes
Molineux got rid of Mandhana [Source: Screengrab/@kingdom_virat1/X]
Experienced Indian batter Smriti Mandhana let her side down with an abysmal performance, being dismissed cheaply in the must-win T20 World Cup encounter against Australia at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Opening the batting for India Women, Mandhana could score only six runs before Sophie Molineux trapped her plumb in front with a brilliant delivery.
The incident occurred in the sixth over of India Women's innings when Mandhana was trying to form a consolidating stand alongside Jemimah Rodrigues. However, Australia Women's captain Tahlia McGrath's decision to bring Sophie Molineux paid rich dividends for the defending champions, with the ace left-arm spinner outfoxing Mandhana with a quick delivery.
From over the wicket, Molineux bowled a flatter delivery on the stumps, beating Mandhana on a non-existent pull shot. Although it looked dead-plumb in real time, the on-field umpire decided in the batter's favour, declaring her not out.
However, Tahlia McGrath opted to use the DRS review, a decision that worked wonders for her side. In the replay, the HawkEye predicted three reds, with the TV umpire asking her on-field colleague to reverse the original decision. Thus, Mandhana, who was expected to play a key role for India, made her way back to the dugout for a sloth-paced 12-ball six.
India Lose Three Crucial Wickets Inside Seven Overs
After Ellyse Perry and Phoebe Litchfield's crucial cameos powered Australia Women to a defendable 151-run total, India had a brisk start to their innings, courtesy of Shafali Verma's quick-fire cameo.
However, soon after Ashleigh Gardner made Verma her victim, Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues departed in quick succession, giving Australia a massive advantage. At the time of writing, India Women were tottering at 50 for three, needing 102 runs off 75 balls to emerge victorious in the must-win affair.