3 areas of concern India need to address after their loss to Australia in the 3rd T20I

India Women are currently playing a five-match T20I series against Australia Women in Mumbai. Heading into the third T20I at the Brabourne Stadium on Wednesday, December 13, the series was tied at 1-1.

However, it was Australia who once again took the lead in the series with a comprehensive 26-run victory.

Led by Ellyse Perry's all-round performance, the visitors now have a chance to seal the series in the next match, which will be played on Saturday, December 17.

For India, it is a must-win game if they want to keep the series alive. Ahead of the important contest, we take a look at three areas of concern India need to address following their loss in the third T20I.

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#1 Over-reliance on senior players

Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana are the two senior-most players in the side in terms of experience at the international level.

Harmanpreet. the captain, has been going through an ordinary patch in the series, struggling to score runs at a healthy rate. While she is renowned for her power-hitting, Harmanpreet hasn't been able to create the same impact in this series.

Mandhana, the elegant left-handed batter, is one of the vital cogs of this Indian side. The vice-captain shoulders the responsibility of getting the side off to a good start more often than not.

With the rest of the side more or less playing around them, India sometimes find themselves in situations where they are over-reliant on their senior players.

Shafali Verma's half-century in the previous encounter will be a welcome sight for the hosts, who will hope she can carry on her good form on a more consistent basis.

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#2 Spinners not offering enough control in the middle

The Indian bowling unit hasn't fired on all cylinders in recent times. Apart from Renuka Singh Thakur, the rest of the bowlers have struggled to string performances together as a unit.

Anjali Sarvani, who made her debut in the series, has held her own too, but the same cannot be said for the spinners.

Deepti Sharma is usually the bankable bowler for the side on most occasions. However, she ended with figures of 2/40 in that contest. The likes of Radha Yadav and Rajeshwari Gayakwad weren't at their best either, with all three conceding at over nine runs per over.

The Women in Blue need some control in the middle overs and have to find the resources to do so. Devika Vaidya's addition to the side has helped them in that regard and the hosts will hope that she can continue to churn out performances like these and that others can step up too.

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#3 India have been guilty of letting Australia off the hook

This isn't the first time this has happened against Women in Blue. That's what happens when a strong side like Australia is the opposition. During the Commonwealth Games 2022 contest between the two sides, India were in complete command after having set a target of 155.

India had Meg Lanning and Co. on the ropes at 49/5 before Australia eventually got over the line courtesy of Ashleigh Gardner's heroics. Even in the third T20I on Wednesday, India had their opposition right where they'd want, at 5-2.

However, the hosts let the visitors off the hook and Ellyse Perry cashed in. Harmanpreet and Co. have to make sure certain moments in the game go their way, especially when they are the ones dictating terms.