Australia are batting first in the opening T20I after newly minted captain Sophie Molineux lost her first toss in the role.
With showers falling on Sydney in the lead-up to the coin toss and the potential for further rain to interrupt the game, it came as little surprise that India captain Harmanpreet Kaur elected to chase at the SCG.
Australia have made several bold selection calls for their first T20I since March last year, recalling allrounder Nicola Carey for her first game in the green and gold since December 2022, and omitting co-vice-captain Tahlia McGrath, veteran pacer Megan Schutt and powerful batter Grace Harris.
Australia XI: Beth Mooney (wk), Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Nicola Carey, Sophie Molineux (c), Kim Garth, Darcie Brown
India XI: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Kranti Gaud, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur
Molineux also returns to the XI having missed last year’s T20I tour of New Zealand with a knee injury. Ashleigh Gardner also missed the final two matches of that series with a finger injury, and has reclaimed her spot to face India.
Leg-spinner Alana King, who missed selection in the squad for the shortest format, is the other omission from Australia’s most recent T20I XI.
Unsurprisingly, Beth Mooney has taken over the wicketkeeping gloves full-time following Alyssa Healy’s retirement, while Georgia Voll has continued in the opening role she held last year when Healy was sidelined by injury.
Australia are fielding a pace attack comprised of Kim Garth, Darcie Brown, Carey and Annabel Sutherland, with Molineux, Gardner and Georgia Wareham making up the three-strong spin group.
India have picked the same XI that took care of the Governor General’s XI on Friday night, with spinner Shreyanka Patil named at number eight.
This is the first international match Australia have played since losing to India in last year’s ODI World Cup semi-final.
The teams are playing for the overall multi-format series trophy, with two points on offer for each white-ball win, and four for a win in the sole Test.
NRMA Insurance Australia v India Multi-Format Series
Australia T20I squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
India T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Renuka Thakur, Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Uma Chetry, Arundhati Reddy, Amanjot Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Shreyanka Patil
February 15: First T20, SCG, 7:15pm AEDT
February 19: Second T20, Manuka Oval, Canberra, 7:15pm AEDT
February 21: Third T20, Adelaide Oval, 7:15pm AEDT
Australia ODI squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Sophie Molineux (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
India ODI squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Renuka Thakur, Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Kashvee Gautam, Amanjot Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Uma Chetry, Harleen Deol
February 24: First ODI, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 2:50pm AEDT
February 27: Second ODI, Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 2:50pm AEDT
March 1: Third ODI, Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 2:50pm AEDT
Australia Test squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Sophie Molineux (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
India Test squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Sneh Rana, Amanjot Kaur, Uma Chetry, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, Sayali Satghare
March 6-9: Test match, WACA Ground, 4:20pm AEDT (D/N)
