Australia outplayed India in all facets of the game to beat India by 8 wickets with 35 balls to spare. Australia played like a determined lot and deserved the win in the end as they bowled well and batted brilliantly to make a stiff chase look very easy. After losing the toss, Australia kept India down to 281/7 despite fifties from Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, and Harleen Deol and handy finishing from down the order. Megan Schutt got a couple of wickets to her name.
In reply, Australia benefitted from sloppy fielding by Indian fielders and 4 dropped catches as Phoebe Litchfield‘s 88. Beth Mooney’s 77* and Annabel Sutherland’s 54* guided the chase through with Ellyse Perry scoring 30 off 38 balls before being retired hurt due to calf injury while Alyssa Healy made 27 off 23 balls at the top of the order. India lacked in taking wickets up front and got two wickets with Kranti Goud and Sneh Rana getting a wicket each. India were not there as Australia thrashed them to go 1-0 up in the 3-match series.
Fifties from Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana & Harleen Deol Propels India to 281/7
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana walked out to bat for India while Megan Schutt had ball in hand for Australia. Mandhana made her intentions clear as she got off the mark with a boundary through a cover drive. Kim Garth was given the ball from the other end. Mandhana stepped out of her crease and smashed it across the line to wide long-on region for a boundary. Rawal joined the party as she opened the face of the bat and guided it through backward point region.
Garth bowled a tidy over. Rawal then took on Schutt and hit her for back-to-back boundaries to end the 5th over. Garth bowled another tidy over. Mandhana then went over mid-off and got a boundary off Schutt. Rawal drove crisply through the covers for a boundary off Garth. Mandhana joined the party as she pulled her over deep square leg for a boundary. Garth bowled a no ball and the free hit yielded a couple of runs as the 50 came up for India in 8 overs and of the partnership as well.
Ashleigh Gardner came into the attack next and bowled a tidy first over. Ellyse Perry was introduced into the attack and she too bowled a good first over as India at the end of the mandatory powerplay were 55/0 in 10 overs. Gardner continued as Mandhana went straight down the ground over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Perry continued to keep things under check. Rawal hit Gardner through deep fine leg for a boundary. At the Drinks Break, India were 75/0 in 13 overs.
Perry continued after the Break as Mandhana flicked her past diving fine leg fielder for a boundary. Georgia Wareham came into the attack next and bowled a miserly spell. Annabel Sutherland came into the attack next. She bowled a miserly over. Mandhana then hit Wareham over mid-off for a boundary. Rawal then pulled Sutherland behind square for a boundary at fine leg region. The 100 came up for India Women in 17.3 overs.
Smriti Mandhana got to her 32nd ODI fifty and her 5th against Australia. Sutherland bowled a tight 20th over as India reached 106/0 in 20 overs. Ashleigh Gardner came back into the attack and bowled a miserly over. Pratika Rawal soon got to her fifty in 67 balls, her sixth in ODIs. Mandhana then targeted Sutherland and deposited over deep midwicket for the maximum. But against the run of play, a miscommunication resulted in Mandhana being run out for 58 off 63 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes to her name as Phoebe Litchfield threw down the stumps at the striker’s end.
Harleen Deol came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Wareham returned to the bowling attack and bowled a tight over. Kim Garth returned and bowled a maiden over. Wareham continued as Harleen Deol danced down the track and lofted it over mid-on for the maximum. After 25 overs, India were 129/1 at the halfway stage of the innings.
Kim Garth continued and bowled a tight over. Alana King came into the attack now. She bowled a tight over. Garth too bowled well as runs came in singles at the moment. King then delivered a maiden over. Garth also kept things under check as India reached 142/1 in 30 overs as we had the second drinks break of the first innings. King continued and got rid of Rawal for 64 off 96 balls with 6 fours to her name. King bowled a flighted leg break fuller on the stumps. The batter got down on one knee and slog swept it against the turn but mistimed the stroke to Perry at deep midwicket. Perry moved back to take the catch.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Sutherland came back into the attack as Deol flicked her to the deep midwicket fence along the ground. King kept things tight as she always does. Kaur hit Sutherland over deep square leg for the maximum. Sutherland hit back and got rid of Kaur for 11 off 9 balls with a maximum to her name.
Sutherland bowled a good length delivery on the middle and off-stump as an off-cutter nipping in a tad. Harmanpreet prod forward and played the wrong line as the ball beat the inside edge of the bat and hit the back pad. Kaur reviewed in hope and so three reds on ball tracking and had to go back to the hut by burning a review. Jemimah Rodrigues came out to bat next. King bowled a decent over once again.
Gardner returned to the attack as Deol took her down hitting consecutive boundaries down the ground and through covers. She then took on King and deposited her for the maximum over long-off and then swept hard towards deep square leg. Deol reached her fifty in fifty balls, her fourth ODI fifty. Megan Schutt returned as Rodrigues cut her through third man for a boundary as the 200 came up for India in 38.1 overs. Gardner too bowled a tight over.
India Women were 207/3 in 40 overs with 10 overs to go in the innings. Schutt got rid of Deol for 54 off 57 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes to her name. Megan bowled a leg cutter on a good length delivery a shade outside off-stump, Deol came down the track and looked to slog it across the line but missed it completely. Healy who stood up to the stumps, collected it cleanly and whipped the balls in a flash. Richa Ghosh came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Wareham too bowled a tight over. Tahlia McGrath came into the attack next. She got rid of Richa Ghosh but it was a no ball and so Richa survived and the free hit followed. Richa launched McGrath straight down the ground for the maximum and the bowler overstepped again. The next free hit went for a boundary over mid-off. But McGrath had the last laugh as she dismissed Rodrigues for 18 off 26 balls with a boundary to her name. Tahlia bowled a back of a length delivery on the leg, Rodrigues sat back and went for the pull shot but got a top edge. King at short fine leg settled underneath it and pouched it safely.
Deepti Sharma came out to bat next. Wareham bowled a tight 44th over. McGrath bowled a tight over as well as India reached 239/5 in 45 overs. Schutt returned to bowl as Ghosh hit her over covers for a boundary. Schutt removed Ghosh for 25 off 20 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to her name. She bowled a low full toss on the stumps, Richa got low and slogged it high in the air in front of square in the leg side. Gardner from deep midwicket ran to her right, and kept her eyes on the ball to grab it inches from the ropes. Radha Yadav got off the mark straightaway.
McGrath bowled a decent over. Deepti then hit Kim Garth by pulling through deep backward square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary. Radha joined in the fun as she hit Garth over cover point for a boundary. Radha then hit McGrath through deep midwicket and long-on for a boundary. Garth bowled the final over of the innings as Radha Yadav hit her through deep midwicket for a boundary.
Garth got rid of Radha Yadav for 19 off 14 balls with 3 fours to her name. She bowled a leg cutter on the fuller side on the stumps, Radha got underneath it and slogged it away but failed to get the required elevation as Perry stationed at long-on took a safe catch. Nallapureddy Charani came out to bat next and got off the mark with a single. Deepti Sharma hit the last ball of the innings for a boundary by smacking over the bowler’s head for a boundary as she remained unbeaten on 20 off 16 balls with 2 fours to her name. Charani remained unbeaten on 2. 10 extras given by Australia as India finished with a competitive 281/7 in 50 overs.
8 bowlers used by Australia. Megan Schutt picked up 2/45 in 7 overs. Kim Garth finished with 1/56 in 10 overs. Annabel Sutherland finished with 1/31 in 6 overs. Alana King finished with 1/28 in 6 overs. Tahlia McGrath finished with 1/33 in 4 overs. Ashleigh Gardner gave away 35 runs in 7 overs. Ellyse Perry finished with 0/15 in 3 overs. Georgia Wareham finished with 0/36 in 7 overs. That meant Australia needed 282 to win off 50 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series.
Phoebe Litchfield & Beth Mooney fifties took Australia over the line in 44.1 overs
Chasing 282 for the win, Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield came out to open the batting for Australia while Kranti Goud had ball in hand for India. Goud bowled a decent first over. Sneh Rana came to bowl from the other end. Phoebe Litchfield was batting on 0 when he was dropped off Sneh Rana by Jemimah Rodrigues at midwicket region. Litchfield was determined to make India pay as she hit Goud through fine leg region for a boundary. Litchfield then hit Goud through point and cover point for a boundary.
Healy drove Rana past the left of cover point for a boundary. Litchfield hit Rana over the bowler’s head for a boundary. Healy drove Goud past covers for a boundary. Deepti Sharma came onto bowl next. Healy swept Deepti along the ground through backward square leg for a boundary. Goud continued as Healy threw her hands and got the gap through cover point for a boundary. Healy hit another boundary past midwicket region. But against the run of play, Healy was dismissed by Goud for 27 off 23 balls with 5 fours to her name.
Goud bowled a good length delivery in the channel outside off-stump, Healy looked to drive it on the up through covers but ended up getting an inside edge back onto the stumps. The ball nipped back a fraction after pitching to catch the inside edge of Healy’s bat. Ellyse Perry walked out to bat next. Litchfield chipped Deepti past mid-off for a boundary. Litchfield then hit Rana through the backward point region for a boundary.
Deepti Sharma bowled a decent 10th over which was a maiden as Australia reached 58/1 after 10 overs at the completion of the first powerplay. Rana continued as Litchfield reverse swept over covers for a boundary. Nallapureddy Charani came into the attack next. Perry welcomed her by coming down the track and smacking it over mid-on for a boundary. Litchfield next hit the reverse sweep through short third man for a boundary. Radha Yadav came into the attack next. Perry launched her straight over mid-on for the maximum.
Litchfield hit Charani for a boundary past the point region. Perry then helped it on its way against Deepti through fine leg for a boundary. Litchfield soon got to her fifty in 44 balls past backward square leg for a boundary. After 15 overs, Australia were 98/1 as the players paused for a Drinks Break. Rana continued after the break as Australia got to 100 in 15.4 overs. Radha Yadav came back into the attack as Perry was now dropped by Pratika Rawal when she was on 20 as India’s fielding woes continued.
Perry began to struggle with cramps now and was attended by physios multiple times. She still hit Rana for a boundary through midwicket region. Phoebe Litchfield was given another reprieve as Harmanpreet Kaur dropped her off Radha Yadav when she was batting on 56 and the score was 114 on the board. Litchfield added salt to injury as he hit him through extra covers for a boundary. Litchfield hit another boundary via a reverse sweep through third man.
Rana continued and bowled a miserly over as Australia were 124/1 in 20 overs. Ellyse Perry walked off the field retired hurt for 30 off 38 balls. Beth Mooney replaced her at the crease. Deepti came back into the attack as Litchfield hit the switch hit over mid-on for a boundary. Goud came back into the attack and she bowled a decent over. Mooney danced down the track and lofted it over mid-off for a boundary. Litchfield hit Goud for a boundary towards deep square leg region.
Mooney hit Goud through deep square leg region for a boundary. Charani bowled a decent over as Australia reached 157/1 in 25 overs at the halfway stage of the chase. Deepti returned to the attack as Litchfield lofted it towards long-off for a boundary. Deepti bowled a no ball but the free hit yielded a dot ball. Rana came back and got rid of Phoebe Litchfield for 88 off 80 balls with 14 fours to her name.
Rana tossed up and full at the leg stump, the southpaw came forward and tried to play the switch hit and got a top edge to Arundhati Reddy at short fine leg where the catch was well taken. Annabel Sutherland came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Deepti continued and bowled a decent over. Rana too kept things under check. Radha Yadav bowled a good over as well as Australia reached 182/2 in 30 overs.
Rana bowled a decent over once again. Mooney then hit Radha by using her feet and lofted it over Radha for a boundary. Sutherland joined the party as she guided the ball through third man for a boundary. Mooney cut through square of the wicket for a boundary as the 200 came up for Australia in 32.2 overs. Mooney hit Charani for another boundary through deep backward square leg region.
Sutherland hit Sharma for a lucky boundary through the keeper’s legs. The 50-run stand came up between the two batters. Beth Mooney hit a boundary between deep midwicket and deep square leg for a boundary and got to her fifty in 45 balls. Mooney then slammed Radha Yadav over cow corner for a boundary. We had another catch drop as Mooney was dropped by Deepti Sharma at covers which was a sitter off Charani. Sutherland hit Radha straight down the ground for a boundary.
Goud continued as Mooney drove her back past the bowler for a boundary down the ground for a boundary. Sutherland too hit a boundary through the square leg region as Australia reached 254/2 in 40 overs and now needed 28 runs off 60 balls to win this one. Sutherland was on the go as she hit Radha Yadav for consecutive boundaries in the 41st over. Mooney hit Goud for a boundary through covers as the 100-run partnership came up between Mooney and Sutherland.
Sutherland soon reached her half century off 47 balls her third ODI fifty. Deepti bowled a decent over, but Australia were within touching distance of the win. Sutherland hit Charani for a brace and got the victory for her side. Mooney remained unbeaten on 77 off 74 balls with 9 fours to her name while Sutherland was unbeaten on 54 off 51 balls with 6 fours to her name. 6 extras given by India as Australia were home and dry in 44.1 overs.
Kranti Goud got a wicket and finished with 1/55 in 8 overs. Sneh Rana finished with 1/51 in 10 overs. Deepti Sharma finished with 0/59 in 10 overs. Charani finished with 0/55 in 8.1 overs. Radha Yadav finished with 0/61 in 8 overs. So, Australia win by 8 wickets and for her outstanding innings at the top of the order, Phoebe Litchfield was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead
So, Australia lead the 3-match series 1-0 with this impressive win. The next match will be on Wednesday at the same venue in Mullanpur on 17th September 1:30 PM IST. Can India fight back or will the Australians wrap up the series on Wednesday only? We shall find that out on Wednesday.
Join us then as these two heavyweights battle it out on Wednesday as well. It should be good fun and watch for one and all.
Also Read: IND-W vs AUS-W: Phoebe Litchfield’s Unbeaten 82 Gives Australia A Rollicking Start In The Chase