Indian women beat world champions Australia in second T20, win first series Down Under

The Indian women's team won the second Twenty20 International against Australia on Friday, beating the home team by 10 wickets in a rain-affected match in Melbourne.

With this victory, India have clinched the 3-match Twenty20 series against Australia 2-0, and won their first ever series Down Under.

India reached the revised target of 69 in 9.1 overs to win the game by 10 wickets on the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Captain Mithali Raj struck an unbeaten 37 and Smriti Mandhana made 22 not out to take India home with 5 balls to spare, after rain intervened for the second time reducing the match to 10 overs per side. Pacer Jhulan Goswami was declared the player of the match for her figures of 2/15. 

Winning the toss, captain Mithali Raj decided to bowl first, after rain had reduced the game to an 18-overs-a-side contest.

Pacer Jhulan Goswami bowled Grace Harris off the third ball of the innings to leave Australia at 1/1. After a short partnership, Goswami accounted for Beth Mooney for 10, thus taking two wickets in her opening spell reducing Australia to 28/2.

While captain Meg Lanning was playing a patient knock, Ellyse Perry was run out off a throw by Anuja Patil. This meant Australia were 33/3 in the 5th over.

But Lanning and Jess Jonassen put together a 70-run stand in just 8.3 overs before Lanning was run out by bowler Harmanpreet Kaur for 49 off just 39 balls. Then Kaur, hero of the 1st Twenty20, had Jonassen caught to put India back in front in just one over. 

Keeper Alyssa Healy was then dismissed by Poonam Yadav to make the Australian score 106/6. This soon became 112/7 and 113/8, but all rounder Alex Blackwell remained unbeaten on 12 to take the Aussies to a challenging 125/8 off their 18 overs. 

After the second rain interruption however, it just proved to be too few to force a win and salvage the series.