Australia Women vs India Women, 2nd T20I

The second T20I of the India Women tour of Australia 2026 at Manuka Oval promises an exciting contest between two highly skilled sides. Australia Women, coming off a mixed start to the series, have demonstrated their resilience with their power-hitters and all-rounders making valuable contributions. The recent form of Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy has been pivotal, combining aggressive strokeplay with smart innings-building. India's Women, led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, have showcased consistent depth in both batting and bowling departments. Smriti Mandhana’s elegant strokeplay and the impressive leg-spin variations from Radha Yadav have troubled many opponents. The head-to-head record in T20Is tilts slightly in favor of Australia with a narrow margin, but India have gained momentum in recent series encounters. Strategically, Australia will look to capitalize on the home advantage, leveraging the powerplay to attack early and relying on their disciplined death bowlers to restrict India. India, conversely, may focus on rotating the strike and exploiting spin-friendly patches that the Manuka Oval surface sometimes offers. Field placements will be crucial given the line-and-length bowling approach both teams prefer to deploy. With both teams possessing depth in pace and spin bowling, spin could play a key role in the middle overs. Taking into account recent form, home conditions, and player availability, Australia Women hold a slight edge but the contest is balanced and competitive. #### AI suggested match winner Australia Women: 55%, India Women: 45%

If Australia Women bat first, a competitive score of around 165-175 is expected considering their strong batting lineup and power hitters who thrive in Australian conditions. The Manuka Oval surface traditionally supports strokeplay but requires controlling extras. Conversely, if India Women bat first, a total near 155-165 is probable. Their batting lineup is capable of steady innings with sudden accelerations, particularly in the later overs. The pitch offers assistance to spinners mid-innings, which could challenge batters if wickets fall early. Weather is expected to remain clear, minimizing interruptions, enabling both teams to play positively.

The Manuka Oval pitch is known for its balanced nature. Historically, the average first innings score in women’s T20 matches here is around 160 runs. The ground tends to assist strokeplay initially but can see gradual assistance to spinners in the middle overs. Teams batting second have a respectable chasing record of around 52%, showing the wicket remains good for batting throughout the innings. Weather forecast predicts clear skies and mild temperature around 22°C, ideal for cricket. Best bowler on this ground is Australia's Jess Jonassen, with notable wicket hauls in home games. Meg Lanning holds the record for the highest individual score on this ground in women's T20Is. For India, Renuka Singh has been effective on similar pitches, and Smriti Mandhana’s consistency makes her the leading batter historically here.

Matches Played	Australia Women Wins	India Women Wins
24	13	11

Team Recent Performance

Team	Last 5 Matches (W-L-D)
Australia Women	3-2-0
India Women	4-1-0

Australia Women:

Meg Lanning – In excellent form recently, Lanning has scored heavily in the series opener, showcasing her ability to anchor the innings under pressure.

Alyssa Healy – Known for her explosive starts, Healy continues to thrive at Manuka Oval, providing brisk starts that set the tone early in the innings.

Jess Jonassen – A key spinner who has combined wicket-taking skills with economical spells, Jonassen's performance here often swings matches in Australia's favor.

India Women:

Harmanpreet Kaur – As captain and middle-order batter, Harmanpreet has impressed with her aggressive yet calculated innings, vital for setting or chasing targets.

Smriti Mandhana – A consistent run-scorer, Mandhana has looked technically sound and fluent, anchoring India's innings with graceful strokeplay.

Radha Yadav – Her crafty leg-spin has troubled batswomen through the early part of the series, with crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs.