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

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

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

However, Sophie Molineux’s reign as the new Australia captain began with a defeat as Patil finished with figures of 3-22 for India, backed up by left‑arm spinner Shree Charani, who returned 3-28.

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

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