In the post-match press conference, Mithali Raj talked about the positives from two Tests that the team has played this year.
Chasing a challenging 150-run target, Mandhana smashed 52 off 49 balls and shared 57 runs with Jemimah Rodrigues (23 off 26) for the second wicket to set the platform before India lost four wickets in the span of 10 runs and succumbed easily.
Even though the score is below-par against Southern Stars, Vastrakar's clean hits at least gave them something to fight for.
Meg Lanning's 30th birthday did not come with a present from her opponents as she was clean-bowled for a duck by a peach of a delivery from Salma, only the fourth time the Australian captain has failed to trouble the scorers in 98 ODIs.
Meg Lanning's Australia, long the benchmark in women's cricket, will bid for a record-extending fifth T20 World Cup title after a rocky ride to their sixth final. Harmanpreet Kaur-captained India arrive at the MCG undefeated and without having bowled a ball in the rained-out semi-final against England.
The spotlight among the batters was on Beth Mooney. She rocketed up eight places to break into the top ten, sitting at No. 8, just below compatriot Meg Lanning by nine rating points.
'Why was Top Gun: Maverick made? 'And the only reason I can think of is that the new film was made to emphasise and re-establish Tom Cruise's superstar status,' notes Aseem Chhabra who watched the Top Gun sequel at its premiere in Cannes.
India dictated terms to mighty Australia who did everything they could to survive the difficult overs under lights and finish the third day of the rain-marred pink ball Test at 143 for four on Saturday.
Australia will play against Sri Lanka in the first T20I at North Sydney Oval on September 29.
All teams now have one wild card pick each to fill their final slots in June.
'It's something the ICC will have to weigh up in whether the tournament goes ahead. Will every team in the competition have the opportunity to prepare adequately for a World Cup? There are still a few teams that have to go through the qualifying process so I'm not sure how that will pan out.'
Outplayed in every aspect of the game so far, the Indian women's cricket team desperately needs its top order to strike form and its bowlers to show some spark against an in-form Australia in the second ODI on Friday.
Do you think Yami Gautam and Vikrant Massey will look good together on screen?
Beth Mooney's brilliant unbeaten hundred gave Australia a five-wicket win over India -- their 26th on the trot -- in the second women's ODI, in Mackay, on Friday.
India batter Smriti Mandhana lauded teammate Punam Raut's decision walk even before the on-field umpire's decision on Day 2 of the one-off day/night women's Test against Australia, in Gold Coast, on Friday.
For ICC Women's Player of the Decade, Ellyse Perry (Australia), Meg Lanning (Australia), Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Stafanie Taylor (West Indies), Mithali Raj (India), Sarah Taylor (England) have been nominated.
Australia captain Meg Lanning wants women's Tests to be made five-day contests, like it is for their male counterparts, to get more results and cited the recent rain-affected drawn game between India and England to call for the change.
An email from Cricket Australia's top official Belinda Clark, which is in possession of PTI, indicates that stopping the three is a "pressure tactic" to ensure postponement of the men's ODI series.
Australia won their seventh ICC Women's Cricket World Cup with a 71-run victory over England in Christchurch.
Australia's Alyssa Healy smashed an unbeaten 148 off 61 balls to set a new world record for the highest individual score in women's Twenty20 internationals.
It was the first cricket match Down Under in six months.
Dhoni was picked as captain of ODI and Twenty20 teams of the decade, while Virat Kohli was named the leader in Tests.
Australia's captain Meg Lanning says her team is going into the Wt20 final against India not just to put on a good show, but win it.
Australia goes into the ICC women's T20 World Cup summit clash as favourites, but with India having stunned them on the opening night in Sydney, we could be in for the most electric final yet.
The Australian women's cricket team matched the world record 21-game winning streak in one-day internationals set in 2003.
Smriti Mandhana, on Friday, rose three rungs to fourth but Jemimah Rodrigues dropped to seventh in the latest ICC women's T20 International rankings
India's star-studded top four failed to fire against the West Indies, but Shikha Pandey's late show hauled them up to 107 and they defended it superbly, Poonam Yadav starring with the ball to earn a two-run win.
India men's team captain Virat Kohli and the legendary Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday praised the national team's performance in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, saying they will bounce back stronger from the defeat to Australia in the final. Unbeaten throughout the tournament, India were outplayed in all departments of the game by the defending champions, who clinched an unprecedented fifth world title in the shortest format with an 85-run win.
Eddings said CA has given vice-captaincy to various players over the years and will go by the selectors' recommendation when the time comes to pick a successor to Paine.
Skipper Meg Lanning's blazing knock helped Australia reach a record total before Megan Schutt led a brilliant bowling performance to beat arch-rivals England by 57 runs in the final of the women's T20 tri-series.
England is the third team to figure in the tournament in which all matches will be played at the Cricket Club of India's Brabourne Stadium.
India ODI captain Mithali Raj has slipped to the fifth spot.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the one-off Day-Night Pink Ball women's Test between Australia and India in Gold Coast on Friday.
India's young batters Yastika Bhatia and Shafali Verma dazzled at the top with contrasting half-centuries to power their team to a consolation two-wicket victory over Australia in the third women's ODI, which ended the home team's 26-match unbeaten streak in Mackay.
Meg Lanning's ruthless Australia women's team registered their 25th consecutive victory in one-day internationals on Tuesday after crushing India by nine wickets in the series opener in Mackay.
India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said she has full faith in her team to do well in future even after Australia outclassed her side by 85 runs in the final of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, in Melbourne, on Sunday. Unbeaten throughout the tournament, India were outplayed in all departments of the game by defending champions Australia, who clinched their fifth title.
Team India needs to ensure that the frequent middle-order collapses are not repeated in the showpiece event.
The actor is good friends with Meghan Markle, who is set to get married to Prince Harry next year.
Meg Lanning's Southern Stars, have been an exemplar of sportsmanship on and off the field, and have little need for the puffed-up aggression that made the Aussie men's side one of the game's least likeable.
Amit Shah digitally inaugurated the renamed Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in presence of late finance minister's family.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances