After posting 176/6, powered by a 121-run partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, India’s bowlers delivered a disciplined performance to restrict Australia to 159/9 in their 20 overs.
Smriti Mandhana, bowlers power India to historic T20I series win vs Australia after a decade (PC: BCCI/X)
India Women clinched a historic T20I series victory in Australia, defeating the hosts by 17 runs in the third and final T20I at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday. The win sealed the three-match series 2-1 and marked India’s first bilateral T20I series triumph on Australian soil in a decade.
After posting 176/6, powered by a 121-run partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, India’s bowlers delivered a disciplined performance to restrict Australia to 159/9 in their 20 overs.
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Mandhana was named Player of the Match for her match-defining 82 off 55 balls.
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Authoritative and match-winning #TeamIndia Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is the Player of the Match in the 3️⃣rd T20I for her glorious 8⃣2⃣(55)
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/8PDW83zavH#AUSvIND | @mandhana_smriti pic.twitter.com/XvPqQYL8Gg
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 21, 2026
Asked to bat first, India were anchored by vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, who struck a fluent 82 off 55 balls, including eight fours and three sixes. She shared a crucial 121-run second-wicket partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues, who contributed 59 off 46 balls to give India a strong platform.
Shafali Verma provided a brisk start with 7 off 6 balls before falling early, but Mandhana and Rodrigues took control with a blend of elegant strokeplay and smart strike rotation. Richa Ghosh added late impetus with a quickfire 18 off 7 balls, though Australia pulled things back in the final over through Annabel Sutherland, who conceded just three runs while picking up multiple wickets.
Sutherland finished with 2/34, while Kim Garth (1/25) and Sophie Molineux (1/34) also chipped in.
Australia’s chase faltered early as they slipped to 32/3 within the first six overs, with openers Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney dismissed cheaply and Ellyse Perry falling for just one.
Ashleigh Gardner led the resistance with a gritty 57 off 45 balls, supported briefly by Phoebe Litchfield, who scored 26 off 17 deliveries. However, once Gardner was dismissed, Australia struggled to keep up with the required run rate, and the lower order failed to mount a late surge.
India’s bowlers maintained relentless pressure throughout the innings. Shreyanka Patil and debutant Sree Charani picked up three wickets each, while Arundhati Reddy claimed two. Renuka Singh and Deepti Sharma also bowled economically to keep Australia in check.
Australia eventually finished on 159/9, falling 17 runs short of India’s total.
Smiles all-around in Adelaide #TeamIndia register a commanding win by 1⃣7⃣ runs ✌️
With that, they clinch the #AUSvIND T20I series 2⃣-1⃣
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/8PDW83zavH pic.twitter.com/CTN9QjU0Vx
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 21, 2026
India sealed the series 2-1 after winning the rain-affected first T20I in Sydney (DLS) and losing the second match in Canberra. The tour now moves into the ODI leg, with the first match scheduled for February 24 in Brisbane, followed by two more ODIs and a one-off Test.
During her knock, Rodrigues also reached a major career milestone, completing 2,500 runs in Women’s T20 Internationals.
The 24-year-old entered the match with 2,492 runs and brought up the landmark with a boundary off Kim Garth in the fifth over. Playing her 118th T20I, Rodrigues became only the fourth Indian woman to cross 2,500 T20I runs, joining Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma in the elite list.
Timing, placement, and now 2️⃣5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ T20I runs
A special milestone for Jemimah Rodrigues today!
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/8PDW83zavH #TeamIndia | #AUSvIND | @JemiRodrigues pic.twitter.com/psuXPHTWiA
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) February 21, 2026
The milestone further underlined Rodrigues’ consistency in the shortest format, where she has been a key middle-order pillar for India over the past decade.
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