The 1st T20I of the Australia Women’s Tour of India, 2023/24, took place on January 5, 2024, as part of a series that includes 1 Test, 3 ODIs, and 3 T20Is. The match was held at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. The Australian women’s team, led by Alyssa Healy, had been dominant in recent times, while the Indian women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, sought a fresh start in the T20Is. The toss played a crucial role in cricket, determining which team would bat or bowl first. In this match, the Australian women’s team won the toss, but the decision made after winning the toss has not been specified.
The playing XI of both teams consisted of some of the best players in women’s cricket. The Australian Women’s team included Alyssa Healy (C/WK), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Kim Garth, and Megan Schutt. The Indian Women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, put up a strong performance, with Titas Sadhu of the Indian Women’s team taking a 4-wicket haul in the first innings. This performance restricted the Australian Women’s team to a total of 141 runs.
In response, the Indian women’s team, chased down the target successfully, winning the match by nine wickets with 14 balls remaining. In the chase, there were 50s for Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. This victory marked a great start for the Indian women’s team in the T20I series.The next matches in the series are expected to be equally exciting, with both teams looking to put their best foot forward and secure a win. The match was highly anticipated and was expected to be a thrilling encounter between the two teams.