Australia A Women drew first blood in the series opener, putting together a clinical six-wicket victory over India A Women at New Chandigarh. Opting to bat first, the hosts never really got off the ground, getting rolled over for just 117 in 19 overs as Tess Flintoff ripped through the top and middle order with an outstanding 4 for 13. Outside of brief cameos from Minnu Mani (23) and Tejal Hasabnis (22), India A struggled to counter the visitors’ seam attack. Australia A made quick work of the chase, cruising home in 14 overs thanks to a sharp 35 from Charli Knott and an unbeaten 33 from Anika Learoyd to take a 1-0 lead.
Squads:
India A Women’s Cricket Team
Anushka Sharma (C), Sayali Satghare (VC), Simran Bahadur, Uma Chetry, Shipra Giri, Tejal Hasabnis, Jintimani Kalita, Tanuja Kanwar, Minnu Mani, Niki Prasad, Shweta Sehrawat, Shabnam Shakil, Sujata Dey, Vaishnavi Sharma, Dinesh Vrinda
Australia A Women’s Cricket Team
Darcie Brown, Nicole Faltum (C), Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Milly Illingworth, Charli Knott, Anika Learoyd, Katie Mack, Lilly Mills, Frankie Nicklin, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Rachel Trenaman, Tayla Vlaeminck, Courtney Webb, Tahlia Wilson
Players to watch out:
Charli Knott
Charli Knott made an immediate impact for Australia A Women, topping the run charts with a brisk 35 runs off 23 balls in her single match. Striking at a healthy 152.17, she kept the scoring rate elevated throughout her time at the crease. Her knock was laced with clean boundary hitting, featuring 3 fours and 2 sixes.
Tess Flintoff
Tess Flintoff delivered a dominant bowling performance for Australia A Women, taking 4 wickets in her solitary appearance. She completed a full spell of 4 overs, giving away only 13 runs to record best figures of 4 for 13. Her tight line and length yielded an exceptionally low economy rate of 3.25 and a matching bowling average of 3.25.
Minnu Mani
Minnu Mani played an aggressive knock for India A Women, scoring a rapid 23 runs from just 14 deliveries. Operating at a tournament-high strike rate of 164.28, she wasted no time pushing the tempo for her side. Her punchy innings included 3 boundaries and a six before her dismissal.
Anushka Sharma
Anushka Sharma provided crucial breakthroughs for India A Women, claiming 2 wickets in her 2-over spell. She conceded 14 runs to finish with figures of 2 for 14 at a respectable economy rate of 7.00. Striking once every 6 balls, her brief bowling stint kept the opposition batters on their toes.
Pitch:
The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium has a batting-friendly surface with true bounce and short boundaries, which can help batters score freely. Batters are expected to be able to play their shots through the line once they become comfortable at the crease. Fast bowlers can get some swing with the new ball, while spinners may find limited turn.
Weather:
Expect it to remain sunny during the day and partly cloudy at night. The temperature is forecast to reach a high of 31°C and could fall to around 26°C later in the day. The chance of rain is expected to remain low at around 15% to 20%, which should provide reasonably good conditions for the match.
Fantasy Playing XI:
Anushka Sharma, Sayali Satghare, Simran Bahadur, Uma Chetry, Shipra Giri, Tejal Hasabnis, Darcie Brown, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Charli Knott
Match Details:
Date – September 15, 2026
Time – 6:00 PM IST
Venue – Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh
Broadcast – BCCI, Cricket.com.au app and website
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