India defeated Australia in the third T20I to secure a historic win in the bilateral series

Australia suffered their first bilateral series defeat on home soil in nine years as India won the third and final women’s T20I in Adelaide to claim a 2-1 series win.

Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues hit half-centuries as they put on a 121-run second-wicket partnership – a record for India in the shortest format – to help the tourists to 176-6.

Australia fell to 32-3 at the start of their chase as Shreyanka Patel brought back Georgia Fall and Ellyse Perry, but Ash Gardner kept them in the game with a 45-ball 57.

However, Sophie Molyneux’s reign as Australia’s new captain began with a defeat as Patel finished with 3-22 for India, supported by left-arm pacer Shri Charani, who returned with 3-28.

India won the rain-affected first T20I by 21 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) route before Australia bounced back with a 19-run win to set the decider in Adelaide.

The two teams will now play a three-match ODI series, starting in Brisbane on Tuesday, followed by a one-off Test in Perth from March 6.