August 18, 2024

Priya Mishra five-for guides India A to first win of Australia tour

India A secured their first win on their tour of Australia with a convincing 171-run victory in the third one-day match in Mackay on Sunday. Australia A, chasing 244, collapsed dramatically, losing eight wickets for just 24 runs, and were eventually bowled out for 72. Priya Mishra, playing her first match of the tour, was the star for India A, taking five wickets to lead the bowling attack. Despite this victory, Australia A had already won the series 2-1, having also swept the T20s 3-0.

Batting first, India A scored 243 for 9, thanks to crucial contributions from Tejal Hasabnis (50) and Raghvi Bist (53), who added a vital 104-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Lower-order support came from Sajeevan Sajana and captain Minnu Mani. Australia A’s bowlers, led by Maitlan Brown with three wickets, and Nicola Hancock and Charli Knott with two wickets each, tried to contain India A, but the target proved too challenging in the end.

Australia A’s chase began poorly when fast bowler S Yashasri dismissed opener Charli Knott for 11 runs in the fourth over. Captain Tahlia McGrath was bowled out in the very next over by Meghna Singh, leaving Australia A struggling. From there, legspinner Priya Mishra took control, dismantling the batting lineup and ensuring Australia A couldn’t reach 100 runs.

Mishra struck with her first ball, bowling out Maddy Darke for 22. Australia A collapsed from 48 for 2 to 72 all out, losing eight wickets for just 24 runs in 23 overs. Mishra’s brilliant spell saw her take 5 wickets for just 14 runs in her five overs, including key dismissals of Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Kate Peterson, and Nicola Hancock.

After the match, McGrath admitted that Mishra’s bowling had caught them off guard. “Not the way we wanted to finish off the white-ball series,” she said. “We aimed to win all six matches, so it’s disappointing. The pitch offered more turn to the spinners today than in the first two ODIs.”

“India batted really well and at one stage we were looking on track for sort of that 300 mark. So we were happy with the way we pulled them back, but yeah, just didn’t show up with the bat. Take nothing away from India, they bowled really well. Quicks up front and then that new leggie [Mishra] had some tricks that we probably weren’t prepared for.”

Both sides will meet for the last time in this tour for an unofficial Test from August 22.

U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025: India grouped with WI, Sri Lanka and Malaysia

The ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, starting on January 18, 2025, will be held across four venues in Malaysia, with 16 teams competing, just like in the inaugural 2023 edition. Defending champions India are grouped with West Indies, Sri Lanka, and hosts Malaysia, who are participating in their first U-19 Women’s World Cup. The tournament will conclude with the final on February 2.

The matches will be held at four different venues in Malaysia. The Bayuemas Oval in Selangor will host all Group A games and the final. Group B matches will take place at the Dato’ Dr. Harjit Singh Johor Cricket Academy (JCA Oval) in Johor. The Borneo Cricket Ground in Sarawak will be the venue for Group C games, while the UKM YSD Oval in Selangor will host Group D matches. Samoa will make their World Cup debut in Group C, joining New Zealand, South Africa, and an Africa qualifier. Group B includes England, Pakistan, Ireland, and the USA, while Group D features Australia, Bangladesh, Scotland, and an Asia qualifier.

The tournament will kick off with six matches on the opening day. In the morning, Australia will face Scotland, England will play against Ireland, and Samoa will take on the Africa qualifier. In the afternoon, Pakistan will meet Ireland, Bangladesh will play the Asia qualifier, and New Zealand will compete against South Africa. India will start their campaign on the second day against West Indies. Before the main event, 16 warm-up games will be held from January 13 to 16.

After the group stage, the top three teams from each group will advance to the Super Six stage. The top teams from Group A and Group D will form one Super Six group, while the top teams from Group B and Group C will form the other. Teams will carry their points and net run rates from the group stage and will play two teams that, a) were not in their original group, and b) finished in a different position. For example, if India finishes second in Group A, they will face the first and third-placed teams from Group D. The top two teams from each Super Six group will then advance to the semi-finals.

“This is a special event to the ICC and forms an important part of our Global Growth Strategy of raising the profile of women’s cricket and further growing the game around the world,” ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said in a statement. “It is also a unique opportunity to introduce our vast global audiences to the future stars of the sport.

“We look forward to building on the success from the foundation laid at the inaugural event in South Africa in 2023. We wish all the teams the very best of luck in their preparation and to the Malaysian Cricket Association in organising the event.”

“Malaysia is proud to host the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in 2025, continuing our tradition of supporting the growth of cricket on the global stage,” host tournament director Dinesh Muthuraman said. “Women’s cricket is experiencing unprecedented growth both in Malaysia and around the world. We are fully confident that this World Cup will further accelerate that momentum, leading to significant developments in the sport, especially for women’s cricket.”

The tournament was initially planned to be co-hosted by Thailand, but after Thailand’s withdrawal, Malaysia will now host all the matches. Malaysia has experience hosting major cricket events, having previously hosted the Men’s Under-19 World Cup in 2008, where future stars like Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steven Smith, Imad Wasim, Reeza Hendricks, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, and Ravindra Jadeja showcased their talents.