Australia held their nerves to win the contest by 43 runs and win the series 2-1. It was a high scoring match in Delhi and Australia played better than their opponents in all facets of the game as the World Champions bounced back from their second match loss to win in Delhi. Plenty to ponder for the Indian team. A Beth Mooney masterclass and others around her propelled Australia to the highest score against India as the Aussies finished with 412 in 47.5 overs.
In reply, a majestic ton from Smriti Mandhana, a half-century from Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma took India close to the target. But it was a bridge too far as India went down fighting to the Aussies by 43 runs and lose another series against the reigning champions. Great for Australia, agony for India in the end.
Beth Mooney’s Powerful Ton Powers Australia to 412
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, captain Alyssa Healy came out to bat with Georgia Voll. Kranti Goud had ball in hand for India. Healy was off the blocks straightaway as she hit Goud for a boundary flicking it uppishly to square leg region. Healy next beat Kaur at mid-off as the ball raced away to the fence. Renuka Singh Thakur got the ball from the other end. Thakur overstepped and the free hit was gleefully accepted by pulling it over mid-on for a boundary. Healy hit Thakur over midwicket region for a boundary.
Voll too Goud on as he flicked it past midwicket for a boundary. Healy once again a few balls later got underneath it and lifted over mid-off for a boundary. Thakur continued as Healy went up and over mid-on for a boundary. Healy was not done yet as he hit Thakur for another boundary over the bowler’s head. Goud returned to the attack as Alyssa took him on and hit him for a boundary through forward square leg. Goud got rid of Healy for 30 off 18 balls with 7 fours to her name.
Goud pitched it up outside off-stump, Healy planted her front leg and went for a booming mistiming it to the inner half of the battle. The ball went to Kaur who made no mistake. Ellyse Perry came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary through midwicket region. Thakur continued and bowled a decent over as 50 came up for Australia in 6.5 overs. Goud continued as Voll cut it away for a boundary. Voll then hit Goud for a boundary as Richa dropped the catch standing up to the stumps.
Perry hit Thakur for a boundary towards the midwicket region. Sneh Rana was introduced into the attack next. Voll welcomed her with a cheeky boundary through fine leg region. Voll repeated the same dosage as he hit Voll for a boundary again. Kranti Goud changed ends and came to bowl the last over before powerplay of the innings.
Voll hit him for a boundary through diving cover point fielder. At the end of 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings and the final. Australia were 77/1 in 10 overs.
Rana came onto bowl next. She bowled a tight over as Voll was dropped by Radha Yadav at short midwicket region. Arundhati Reddy came into the attack next. Gill hit Reddy for a boundary as she hit it behind square. Voll once again pulled it away along the ground behind square leg region for a boundary as the 50 came of the partnership came up between the two batters. Rana continued even as Georgia Voll got to her half century in 43 balls, her maiden ODI fifty.
Deepti Sharma came into the attack next. The 100 came up for Australia in 13.3 overs. Perry managed to take on Deepti and hit her for a cracking shot to square leg region for a boundary. Radha Yadav came into the attack next and was greeted with a boundary through vacant fine leg region by Voll who repeated them to make the mistake through the midwicket region.
Deepti Sharma came and bowled a decent over. Voll broke the shackles by hitting Deepti for a boundary square on the field. Reddy returned and bowled a decent over. Deepti continued as Perry hit her away for a boundary into the gap. Reddy came onto bowl next. Voll took her down town as she hit Reddy for two consecutive boundaries through mid-off. Sneh Rana then hit a massive maximum over long-on for the maximum. Perry was then broken with sweat as she hit Rana for the maximum. The 100-run stand came up between the two players. After 20 overs, Australia were 147/1.
Deepti changed ends and bowled a decent over. Rana then against the run of play removed Georgia Voll for 81 off 68 balls with 14 fours to her name. It was also her 50th ODI wicket. She bowled a good length delivery pitching outside the leg stump and turning in. Voll played needless sweep shot and miscued it. She got the top edge and found the substitute fielder Uma Chetry at backward square leg. Beth Mooney came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Mooney then hit Deepti for a boundary over the bowler’s head. Rana bowled a decent over.
Mooney took on Deepti for a boundary as the ball got short and wide outside off-stump. Mooney rocked back and cut her square of the wicket for a boundary. Perry hit another boundary as she hit Deepti for a boundary yet. At the halfway stage of the innings, Australia are 177/2 in 25 overs.
Radha Yadav came into the attack and Mooney hit her to deep backward square leg. Mooney hit Thakur for a boundary to ramp it over the keeper. Mooney hit Thakur for another boundary through the third man region. Soon, Perry reached her fifty in 55 balls after hitting another boundary through the covers for a boundary. The 200 came up for Australia in 27.1 overs. Mooney smashed Radha over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Thakur bowled a decent over.
Mooney hit Reddy for a boundary through cover region. Mooney too reached her fifty in just 31 balls as her consistent run continues. Australia were 222/2 in 30 overs. Sneh Rana came back into the attack. Perry smashed Rana straight down the ground for the maximum over the bowler’s head. Mooney then targeted Deepti for two boundaries in three balls. Perry hit another boundary into the gap at covers for another boundary.
Arundhati came back into the attack as Mooney hit her for a boundary through backward point and sweeper for a boundary. The 100-run stand is up between the two players. Mooney hit another boundary over mid-on for a boundary. Reddy finally got rid of Perry for 68 off 72 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes to her name.
She bowled a good length delivery on the stumps, Perry planted her front leg and went for a lofted drive down the ground. She checked her shot and ended up getting it off the inner half in front of long-on. Goud from the boundary ran in hard and dived to complete an excellent catch. Ashleigh Gardner came into bat next. Rana returned to the attack while Gardner survived a close run out opportunity.
Deepti returned to the attack as Mooney hit Deepti for a boundary through midwicket and the bowler overstepped. The free hit yielded only a single. Reddy continued from the other end. Mooney hit her to the fine leg region for a boundary tickling it away. Gardner crunched Reddy through the covers for a boundary. Goud returned to the attack as Mooney ramped it over the keeper for a boundary. She then hit another boundary through short fine leg region for a boundary. Mooney hit another boundary through the point region square of the wicket.
Radha returned to the attack as Mooney hit her for a boundary and got to her hundred in 57 balls. The no ball was called by the umpire as the 300 came up for Australia in 37.1 overs apart from Mooney’s 100. Mooney again slogged Radha for a boundary to deep midwicket region. Gardner hit Radha up and over covers for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between Mooney and Gardner. Renuka returned as Gardner welcomed her to the deep square leg region.
Gardner smashed Reddy for the maximum over the midwicket region. She then once again hit Reddy through midwicket region by pulling it away. Mooney hit Reddy for a boundary by slogging through square leg. After 40 overs, Australia were 334/3. Gardner then hit Thakur for a boundary past mid-off. Thakur dismissed Gardner for 39 off 24 balls with 5 fours and a maximum to her name. Thakur bowled a full length delivery outside off-stump as he failed to get underneath it climbing down the track as she heaved it hard down the ground but mistimed it. Radha at long-off settled underneath it and took the catch. Tahlia McGrath came to the crease next. She got off the mark with a brace.
Mooney then hit back-to-back boundaries off Thakur to show who is the boss over here. Rana bowled a decent over. Deepti returned to the attack. Mooney hit Deepti Sharma for a boundary through midwicket region. Mooney hit Rana for a boundary through the third man region for a boundary. McGrath joined the fun as she played the reverse sweep through the third man region. Mooney hit Rana for a boundary through the deep midwicket region for a boundary.
Deepti Sharma got rid of McGrath for 14 off 13 balls with a boundary to her name. A full length delivery on the leg stump line. McGrath looked to play the reverse sweep and was struck on the back knee. The finger was raised. Umpire’s call on ball tracking after the batter reviewed it in the end. Grace Harris came out to bat next, Beth Mooney was next run out for 138 off 75 balls with 23 fours and a maximum to her name. It was unfortunate the way she got out. Georgia Wareham came out to bat next.
Deepti dismissed Harris for 1 off 2 balls. She bowled a full length ball on the off-stump line. Harris got behind it and looked to punch it straight down the ground. She failed to keep it grounded and away from the bowler. Deepti hurled her left hand towards the ball and somehow managed to stick in to it. Alana King walked out to bat next. Reddy bowled a half decent over. Wareham hit Thakur for a boundary smashing her over covers. Wareham launched Thakur for the maximum down the ground. Thakur got a wicket as she got rid of Wareham for 16 off 9 balls with a boundary and maximum to her name.
It was a slower delivery on a good length outside the off-stump line. Wareham went back in the crease looking to clear the infield over extra cover. She mistimed the ball due to lack of pace and picked up Harmanpreet Kaur at extra cover inside the circle. Kim Garth came out to bat and got off the mark. King hit Thakur hit King for a boundary cutting behind square. Reddy got rid of Garth for 1 off 2 balls. She bowled a full length delivery on the off-stump, Garth doesn’t get any room to hit it down the ground. She tried to manufacture a shot and hit it straight back down the track. Reddy got her hands on the ball in her follow through and completed the catch. Megan Schutt came out to bat next. She got off the mark.
King managed to hit a boundary through midwicket region. But Reddy dismissed King for 12 off 7 balls with 2 fours to her name. She bowled a length ball pitched outside off-stump, King failed to get underneath it and cleared her front leg and slogged across the line. The heave was high in the air and found Sneh Rana at deep midwicket who took a simple catch. Australia were bowled out for 412 in 47.5 overs with Megan Schutt remained unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball. 11 extras given by the fielding side.
Arundhati Reddy picked up 3/86 in 8.5 overs. Deepti Sharma picked up 2/75 in 10 overs. Renuka Singh Thakur chipped in with 2/79 in 9 overs. Sneh Rana chipped in with 1/68 in 10 overs. Kranti Goud chipped in with 1/56 in 6 overs. Radha Yadab bowled 4 overs for 48 runs. This meant India needed 413 to pull off a monumental chase.
Smriti Mandhana’s Magical Ton Goes In Vain as Australia clinches the series
Chasing 413 for the win, Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana opened the batting for India while Megan Schutt has ball in hand for Australia. Rawal made her intentions clear as she got off the mark with a boundary through cover point region. Schutt gave away 5 wides to the batting side. Rawal hit Schutt away square of the wicket for a boundary. Kim Garth came into the attack next. Mandhana took her on and she crashed through the covers for a boundary.
Megan Schutt continued as Mandhana hit her hat-trick of fifties in good quick time to make her intentions clear. Garth continued and soon got rid Rawal for 10 off 12 balls with 2 fours to his replay. Back of a length delivery outside off-stump, Rawal waits back and looked to place it behind square in the off-side but failed to keep it down. She ended up guiding it straight to Mooney at gully who took a safe catch. Harleen Deol came out to bat next. The bowler Garth bowled a wicket maiden over.
Ashleigh Gardner came back into the attack as Mandhana took her on and delivered it straight down the ground for the maximum. Mandhana hit another boundary through wide mid-on. Gardner gave away 5 extras to the batting side. Deol then hit straight back over the bowler’s head for a boundary. The 50 up for India in 4.5 overs. Garth could be back-to-back boundaries off Mandhana. She then went one better as Mandhana hit Garth for the maximum towards the midwicket region.
Mandhana hit Gardner for a boundary through deep midwicket and long-on. Soon, the southpaw got to her fifty in 4.3 overs. Mandhana got to her fifty in just 23 balls the fastest by an Indian in Women’s ODI. Deol then hit Garth for a boundary as the 50-run stand came up between the players. Schutt continued as Deol fell to her for 11 off 14 balls with 2 fours to her name.
Schutt bowled a short of a length delivery around off-stump, Deol hung back and pulled it aerially into the leg side. She picked out Mooney at deep backward square leg. The fielder captures the catch easily as Harmanpreet Kaur came into the crease next.
Mandhana was next dropped by the keeper off Garth as the batter got a big life. Kaur creamed it through the covers for a boundary. Kaur was once again hit by Garth for a boundary. Super Sunday has plenty in-store for all of us. After 10 overs, India were 96/2. Kaur hit Schutt for the maximum into the gap between deep backward square leg and deep midwicket. Gardner returned as Mandhana took her on and deposited over covers for the maximum and also hit her for another boundary. Tahlia McGrath came to bowl now. Kaur hit her for a boundary behind square. Kaur then hit her through the covers for a boundary. Mandhana then hit Gardner for back-to-back boundaries. At Drinks India were 145/2 in 14 overs.
Tahlia continued as Kaur smashed her through deep midwicket for a boundary. Alana King came into the attack next as Mandhana greeted her with a boundary to square leg. Kaur joined the party as she smashed it over covers for a boundary. McGrath kept things tight. Mandhana hit King for the maximum over midwicket and got to her majestic ton in 50 balls. What an innings this was. Mandhana once again slog swept King for a boundary between deep midwicket and deep square leg. Mandhana hit another boundary through backward square as the 100-run stand is up between the two players.
Grace Harris came out to bowl next. Harmanpreet took her on as she flicked it past the backward square leg region for a boundary as the 50 came up for Kaur in 32 balls. Mandhana then launched Harris for the maximum over midwicket region. The 200 came up for Bangladesh in 19.3 overs. Garth gave away wides to the batting side. After a brief pause due to injury to Kaur the momentum broke as Bangladesh tightened the screws.
Garth bowled a good length delivery pitching a shade outside off-stump and angled straight back in. Kaur looked to pull without moving her feet and wrapped up live in effort. 3 reds on ball tracking and the decision stands and the review is lost as Harman challenged the decision. Deepti Sharma came to the crease next. She got off the mark straightaway. Mandhana hit Deepti for a boundary through third man. Deepti got a boundary through outside edge to third man region. Haris then picked up the big wicket of Mandhana for 125 off 63 balls.
She bowled a full toss around waist height, Mandhana looked to slog it to the leg side and got it off the toe end of the bat and found deep square leg fielder. Richa Ghosh came in next and got off the mark straightaway with a boundary through covers. Deepti launched Garth over long-on for the maximum. King returned and then there was the run out of Richa Ghosh at the bowler’s end unfortunately. Radha Yadav came out to bat next.
Georgia Wareham came onto bowl next. She bowled a tidy over as India reached 242/5 in 25 overs. King bowled a tidy over. Wareham too kept things tight. Radha broke the shackles by hitting a boundary through covers. Wareham then removed Radha for 18 off 21 balls with a boundary to her name. Flighted ball fuller in length on the off-stump. Radha took the bait dancing down the track and got some elevation but not the distance as the long-on fielder took the catch. Arundhati Reddy came out to bat next.
Gardner bowled a decent over as India were 265/6 in 30 overs. Wareham too kept it tight as boundaries had dried up now. Deepti managed to get a boundary away off Gardner behind square. Deepti hit Wareham for a boundary over mid-off. Gardner then removed Reddy for 10 off 13 balls. A flighted off-break that pitched outside off-stump and spun in, Reddy got low and went for the sweep and missed it. She wore it on the front pad and umpire raised her finger. Reddy reviewed it but Umpire’s call meant she had to go back to the hut.
Sneh Rana came to the crease next. Wareham bowled a tidy over. Deepti hit Gardner for a boundary down the ground as the 300 came up for India in 35.2 overs. Deepti got to her fifty as well in 52 balls. Deepti hit Wareham for a boundary through deep midwicket region. Rana too joined in as she hit King for a boundary through long leg. Rana hit King again past the keeper for a boundary.
McGrath came back into the attack. She bowled a tidy over. Deepti then launced Alana King for the maximum down the ground. The 50-run stand was up between Deepti and Rana. After 40 overs, India were 339/7. Australia burnt a review against Rana for LBW as Rana survived. Rana hit Schutt for a boundary in front of square in the point region. McGrath then removed Deepti Sharma for 72 off 58 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes to her name.
It was a short delivery outside the off-stump. Deepti looked to pull it in front of square and took it on but connected it high on the bat. The ball went up in the air and picked up the fielder at midwicket region. She moved to her right and took the catch. Kranti Goud came out to bat next. She got off the mark soon. Schutt bowled a tidy over. Garth too kept things tight as India reached 364/8 in 45 overs. Schutt then struck as Rana fell for 35 off 41 balls with 3 fours to her name.
It was a length delivery on the leg stump line, Rana walked down the pitch and missed the ball on the inside edge as she looked to flick. It goes through to the pad to Healy as the keeper shuffled and fumbled to collect the ball and managed to whip off the bails in time as Rana was way down the pitch. Renuka Singh Thakur came out to bat next.
Kim Garth then removed Renuka for 2 off 4 balls. She bowled a full ball pitched just outside the leg stump, Renuka stepped forward and tried to get underneath it. She launched it down the ground with no timing or power. Voll at long-on called for it ran forward and took the catch. Goud remained unbeaten on 8 off 15 balls as India finished with 369 in 47 overs. 20 extras given by the fielding side.
It was hard work for the Australian bowlers as well with Kim Garth picking up 3/69 in 9 overs. Megan Schutt finished with 2/53 in 7 overs. Ashleigh Gardner finished with 1/80 in 8 overs. Tahlia McGrath finished with 1/44 in 7 overs. Grace Harris finished with 1/20 in 2 overs. Georgia Wareham finished with 1/42 in 7 overs. Alana King finished with 0/60 in 7 overs. So, Australia win by 69 runs to win the series 2-1. The Player of the Match went to Beth Mooney while Player of the Series went to Smriti Mandhana.
So, the series is done and dusted and now both teams get set and head off to the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 starting 30th September 2025.
Also Read: IND-W VS AUS-W: Smriti Mandhana’s Majestic Ton Gives India Hope In A Difficult Chase.