Heather Graham takes hat-trick as Australia floor India in 5th T20I

MUMBAI: Heather Graham became only the second woman cricketer from her country to take a T20 hat-trick as Australia crushed India by 54 runs in the final match to clinch the five-game series 4-1 in Mumbai on Tuesday night.

Graham (4/8 from 2 overs) was the star performer with the ball for Australia as she first dismissed Devika Vaidya and Radha Yadav in the last two deliveries of the 13th over. She then returned in the final over of the innings to not only claim a hat-trick with the opening ball in the form of Renuka Singh but also picked up the prized scalp of Deepti Sharma (53 off 34) in the final delivery.

Australian pacer Megan Schutt was the first woman from her country to claim a hat-trick in T20 cricket in 2018.

Sent into bat, Ashleigh Gardner (66 not out off 32) and Grace Harris (64 not out off 35) struck explosive unbeaten half-centuries to power Australia to an imposing 196 for four.

The Indian bowlers cut a sorry figure after initial success as Gardner and Harris stitched an attacking unbeaten 129 off just 62 balls to fire Australia to their highest total of the series.

The asking rate was too tall for India as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for 142. Agencies

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