4 min learnNew DelhiFeb 14, 2026 11:33 PM IST
They may have been dethroned as World Champions in each T20Is and ODIs, however there’s little doubt that Australia stay the gold customary in ladies’s cricket. And India, who did the dethroning from the 50-over format in Navi Mumbai on that well-known October night time not so way back, ought to know that higher than anybody. Harmanpreet Kaur’s facet has fallen on the Australian hurdle sufficient instances up to now.
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However what that document run-chase within the semifinal, led by Jemimah Rodrigues, and the next ascendancy of India as World Champions ought to instil is the assumption that they will problem the world’s finest extra persistently. That’s what they’d hope to showcase over the following three weeks Down Beneath within the multi-format sequence, beginning with the primary of three T20Is on the iconic Sydney Cricket Floor on Sunday.
With factors at stake in every of the matches throughout all three codecs – two factors every for a win in T20Is and ODIs and 4 factors at stake within the one-off Pink-ball Take a look at in Perth – each sport assumes significance, however the greater image for each side could be the T20Is that kickstart the tour. Throughout Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide, India could be hoping to fine-tune their T20 World Cup preparations whereas Australia would kick off the post-Alyssa Healy period below Sophie Molineux’s management.
“Being a world champion all the time provides you a number of confidence, however each time if you step to the bottom it’s important to begin from ball one. It’s a distinct ball sport now and we’re actually wanting ahead to that. T20 is one thing we, as a staff, actually get pleasure from enjoying and enjoying towards Australia is all the time enjoyable,” Harmanpreet stated.
Recreating aura
For Molineux, the largest problem is to recreate the aura round Australia that has considerably slipped throughout the final two main occasions. However the unbelievable expertise at her disposal ought to make her job simpler. “There may be a lot expertise and talent on this staff, and the ladies are actually pushed to succeed for Australia, so it’s simply bringing all of it collectively (as captain),” Molineux stated.
India haven’t made wholesale adjustments lately both – however the return of Shreyanka Patil will increase them – and many of the core floor have been in good kind on the latest WPL, the captain included. “We’re actually working onerous to attain all our targets. Successful the (ODI) World Cup was certainly one of them, so we’re heading in the right direction. Hopefully we’ll hold bringing our greatest at any time when we play. We all know Australia are very robust, they’ve been enjoying actually good cricket for such a very long time. One factor could be very clear, everytime you go together with a terrific mindset and an excellent, constructive strategy, you may all the time carry your finest,” Harmanpreet stated.
T20I sequence schedule:
- Feb 15, Sydney Cricket Floor, 1.45 pm IST
- Feb 19: Manuka Oval, Canberra, 1.45 pm IST
- Feb 21: Adelaide Oval, 1.45 pm IST
AUS vs IND T20I Squads
Australia: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.
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India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Renuka Thakur, Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Uma Chetry, Arundhati Reddy, Amanjot Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Shreyanka Patil.