AUS-W vs IND-W T20 2026: Arundhati Reddy four-fer helps India beat Australia in rain-hit opener

The Indian women’s cricket team beat Australia by 21 runs via DLS method in a rain-curtailed opening game of the AUS-W vs IND-W T20 2026 series at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.

In their first international match of the year, India’s bowlers set up the victory with a disciplined, incisive performance that bundled out world No. 1 Australia for 133 in just 18 overs.

Arundhati Reddy picked up a wicket in each of her four overs to finish with a career-best 4/22. Georgia Wareham top-scored for Australia with 30.

World No. 3 India began the chase positively, reaching 50/1 in 5.1 overs before rain brought a halt to proceedings.

With the showers persisting, no further play was possible. Under the DLS method, India were required to be 29/1 at that stage, putting them comfortably ahead when the match was called off.

This was India’s eighth win over Australia in 36 matches.

Earlier, India’s decision to field first paid dividends. Renuka Singh removed Beth Mooney in the third over and followed up with a maiden to apply early pressure.

Ellyse Perry’s fluent 20 offered a brief counter, but Kranti Gaud’s dismissal of Georgia Voll (18) helped India limit Australia to 49/2 in the powerplay.

Arundhati Reddy’s double strike - first Ellyse Perry in the eighth over and then Phoebe Litchfield in the 10th - halted Australia’s momentum just as it threatened to build.

Deepti Sharma accounted for Ashleigh Gardner in the ninth over.

Reduced to 87/5 by the halfway mark, Australia never recovered. Reddy returned to end Wareham’s promising innings in the 14th over, triggering a lower-order slide that saw the hosts lose their final five wickets for just 12 runs.

Chasing 134 to win, India played the first three overs cautiously. Shafali Verma (21) took the attack to the bowlers in the fourth over, smashing Nicola Carey for a six and a four to help India get a move on.

Shafali was dismissed by Sophie Molineux in the fifth over but vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (16) and Jemimah Rodrigues (9) ensured India stayed ahead of the required DLS score when the rain interrupted the contest.

The series now moves to Canberra, where the second match will be played at the Manuka Oval on Thursday, before concluding in Adelaide on Saturday.

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