India go down by 14 runs in 3rd T20I against Australia

Eventually, the Indian women's team couldn't sign off from what was a fairly good tour of Australia with a win.
Smriti Mandhana slammed yet another half-century (52, 49b, 8x4) and Richa Ghosh (23 not out, 11b, 2x6, 2x4) gave a glimpse of her enormous talent, tonking two sixes and two fours in the last over, but India fell short by 14 runs against Australia in the third and final T20I at the Metricon Stadium in Gold Coast on Sunday.
The 'Southern Stars' thus won the T20Is 2-0, and, having won the ODIs 2-1 and drawn the pink-ball Test, clinched the multi-format series 11-5. Eight Indian players will now participate in the Women's Big Bash League from Thursday, which should give them good exposure ahead of the ODI World Cup next year in New Zealand in March-April.
Asked to bat first, the Aussies made 149 for five as Beth Mooney (61, 43b, 10x4) and Tahlia McGrath (44 not out, 31b, 6x4, 1x6) once again proved be thorns in India's flesh, rescuing the hosts from 73 for four in the 12th over with their 44-run partnership for the fifth wicket in 37 balls. McGrath, who had scored a match-winning 42 not out in the previous T20I, then added 32* in 16 balls for the sixth wicket to provide the finishing touches to the innings. Having scored 74 & 47 in the ODI series and 28 in the Tests, McGrath was deservedly named as the 'Player of the Series.'
Chasing 150, India suffered a big blow early on when Shafali Verma (1), in a rather soft dismissal, smacked a long on on the leg stump from off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner to Tayla Vlaeminck at short fine leg in the second over. Mandhana pulled out her elegant cover drives and breathtaking pulls, smashing Vlaeminck for three fours in the fifth over, as she added 57 in 56 balls for the second wicket with Jemima Rodrigues (23, 26, 1x4), but India's innings never got the sort of momentum that you need in T20 cricket. Towards the end, Ghosh hit a Dilscoop for four, and then spanked back-to-back sixes and a four off the final three balls from Nicola Carey, but it was all too late.
Mandhana was pouched brilliantly by Aussie skipper Meg Lanning, running behind at covers, while Pooja Vastrkar, promoted to No 5 after her heroics (37 not out off 26 balls at No 8), was yorked by Nicola Carey. Even skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, normally a hard-hitting batter, couldn't get going, phishing around for 13 off 16 balls before she was well caught by a leaping Manning at extra cover off Annabel Sutherland.
India can count many gains from the tour-the emergence of pacers, particularly Vastrakar, to support and later take over from Jhulan Goswami, the sublime form of Mandhana and the amazing fighting spirit shown by the team after the drubbing in the opener being the main ones.
Brief Scores: Australia 149-5 in 20 overs (Tahlia McGrath 44 not out) beat India 135-6 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 52) by 14 runs.