The second match of the five-game series at DY Patil Sports Academy had it all as more than 400 runs were scored and the hosts snuck home after a thrilling climax that ended in a Super Over.
India's star opener Smriti Mandhana underlined the importance of setting challenging totals for opponents and said that the side needs to work on it after the team's thrilling Super Over win against Australia.
A match that ebbed and flowed saw a dramatic finish with the Women in Blue edging the Aussies in the second T20I to level the five-match series 1-1. India scored 20 runs in the Super Over while the Australian batters could only manage 16 runs.
The batting duo carried on from where they left off in the first match and once again proved to be a menace for the Indian bowling lineup, smashing blazing unbeaten half-centuries to take Australia to a challenging total. Mooney scored 82* off 54 balls while McGrath was unbeaten on 70 from 5
Mooney smashed the ball all over the park to register a match-winning knock of 89(57) as Australia cruised to the 172-run target with 11 balls to spare. The batter smashed an astonishing 16 boundaries in her inning.
Both teams are of the opinion that these matches are crucial in their preparations for the upcoming FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela starting January 13 at the iconic Kalinga Hockey Stadium.
Akashdeep Singh scored a hat-trick (9', 26', and 58') and captain Harmanpreet Singh scored a goal (30') to tie the score at 4-4, but Blake Govers' late penalty corner won the match for the Aussie team.
Harmanpreet Singh said that the Aussie team is the best and playing against them will help in their preparation for the FIH 2023 World Cup to be played in India. He also called the series an opportunity to test the strategies that they have in mind.
The pacer becomes the first fast bowler to lead the Australian side in the 50-over format and only the second bowler after the late Shane Warne who led the team in the ODI's for 11 games in the nineties.