Watch: Shikha Pandey Dismisses Alyssa Healy With Women's "Ball Of The Century"

Spearhead India women pacer Shikha Pandey delivered a booming, vicious in-nipper to castle Australia‘s opener Alyssa Healy when the two clashed in a T20I encounter on Saturday in Carrara.

This incident happened on the second ball of Australia’s chase, after Healy had pulled Shikha Pandey for a boundary on the first ball to kick off Australia’s run-chase. The pacer returned with an outstanding delivery, one which would have got almost any batter out as well and which will be remembered for a long time.

A 110 kph delivery from Shikha Pandey, shaped in beautifully first and landed well outside off, bringing Healy across her off-stump. The ball then snaked in incredibly, seaming sharp and big into the batter, who missed it altogether to see the bails dislodged. Shikha Pandey was pumped up and celebrated this wicket animatedly.

Watch: Shikha Pandey’s incredible ball to clean up Alyssa Healy

Unreeeeeeal! ? How far did that ball move? #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/D3g7jqRXWK

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 9, 2021

Australia win the second T20I in a close run-chase

The match went down to the last over and it was the hosts who prevailed at the end. Chasing a low total of 119, Australia lost Alyssa Healy in the first over. Skipper Meg Lanning and in-form batter Beth Mooney forged a 31-run stand to take them further unscathed in the powerplay before Rajeshwari Gayakwad dismissed Lanning.

Australia slipped to 46/4 when they lost Ashleigh Gardner and Ellyse Perry soon, accounted for by Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma. Mooney and Tahlia McGrath performed the fightback act before the opener was got out to Gayakwad, who would also dismiss Nicola Carey in the 17th over, leaving Australia at 94/6.

New batter Georgia Wareham struck Shikha Pandey for a couple of fours in the 18th, before McGrath hit two more boundaries to Renuka Singh in the 19th, leaving Australia in need of just 1 run in the last over.

Earlier, Pooja Vastrakar’s 26-ball 37 helped India to put up a total of 118 after the batting line-up was reduced to 81/9. Tahlia McGrath was named the Player of the Match for her 42 unbeaten runs off  33 balls.

India have now also conceded this multi-format series: they lost the ODI series 2-1, drew the one-off Test, and, after the first T20I was abandoned due to rain, they lost the second T20I. The third T20I is scheduled for Sunday at Carrara Oval.

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