India vs Australia Women’s 2nd T20 Match: Australia Women Seal 19-Run Win

Australia Women held their nerve to secure a 19-run victory over India Women, leveling the series at 1–1. A strong start with the bat and disciplined bowling under pressure proved decisive in sealing the win.

India and Australia faced off in the second ICC Women’s T20I on Thursday (February 19, 2026) at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.

Match Highlights

Earlier, India Women won the toss and chose to bowl first.

Batting first, Australia’s opening pair put together an effective partnership, reaching 114 without loss after 13 overs.

However, India pulled things back brilliantly in the final seven overs, conceding just 49 runs and claiming five wickets, which considerably cut down a total that had seemed set to go beyond 180 when Georgia Voll was in full flow.

Voll contributed 88 runs from 57 balls, while Mooney added 46 runs off 39 balls.

Australia scored 163/5 in their 20 overs.

Chasing 164 runs, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana scored 54 runs without losing a wicket after just 5.3 overs.

After being hit for back-to-back fours, Annabel Sutherland responded strongly with three dot balls, including a sharp bouncer that troubled Shafali.

A tense moment followed as Sutherland caught Shafali’s return and stared her down, signalling Australia’s trademark intensity.

Australia controlled the game by bowling 29 straight balls without giving away a boundary. India managed mostly singles and ran poorly between the wickets, and the pressure led to the wickets of Shafali, Smriti, and Jemimah.

A few boundaries from Harmanpreet briefly raised hopes, but it was short-lived. Richa Ghosh struggled with the pitch and Australia’s pace variations, hurting India’s chase.

India was ahead of the required run rate at the end of the powerplay but began to falter from that point. Ultimately, they went from 126/3 to 132/8 in just 14 balls, leading to a shocking collapse.

Harmanpreet Kaul top-scored with 36 runs off 30 balls, but the rest of the Indian batting lineup struggled to contribute.

Australia’s 19-run victory tied the multi-format series, with both teams earning 2 points each, as they head into the T20 decider at Adelaide Oval on Saturday (February 21,2026).

It was a missed golden opportunity for India to take a 4–0 lead. Chasing 164 was possible, but after a strong start, they lost momentum during a cautious middle phase.