India elected to bowl first against Australia
India won the toss and chose to ask Australia to bat first in the initial women’s T20I at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The hosts picked four pacers and two spinners as they attempt to recover from an ODI series whitewash.
Pooja Vastrakar replaces Saika Ishaque from India’s previous T20I XI, and will team up with Renuka Singh, Amanjot Kaur and Titas Sadhu in the pace attack. Shreyanka Patil and Deepti Sharma will be the two spin options for India.
Shafali Verma makes a comeback to the playing XI after missing the last two ODIs against Australia.
Australia made one change to their XI from their last T20I, with big-hitting Grace Harris coming in for fast bowler Kim Garth. Alana King, who excelled in the ODIs, didn’t make the side, with Darcie Brown retaining her place from the last T20I against West Indies.
India XI: 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Deepti Sharma, 5 Harmanpreet Kaur (c), 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Amanjot Kaur, 8 Shreyanka Patil, 9 Pooja Vastrakar, 10 Titas Sadhu, 11 Renuka Singh
Australia XI: 1 Alyssa Healy (capt, wk), 2 Beth Mooney, 3 Tahlia McGrath, 4 Ellyse Perry, 5 Ashleigh Gardner, 6 Phoebe Litchfield, 7 Grace Harris, 8 Annabel Sutherland, 9 Georgia Wareham, 10 Megan Schutt, 11 Darcie Brown