INDW vs AUSW: India look to resurrect poor ODI record against Australia

India women’s cricket team are flying high after two consecutive Test wins. They will now shift focus to white-ball cricket as they take on seven-time world champions Australia in a three-match ODI series, looking to address another dismal record.

India come into the first ODI at the Wankhede Stadium as the in-form side winning their last two Tests and a T20I after losing the first two T20Is to England, thereby conceding the three-match series.

After crushing England by a record 347 runs in the one-off Test, India carried that momentum to defeat Australia by eight wickets last week.

Given their form, India will be eager for more success but the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side would know that it has a huge task ahead against Australia who have historically dominated them in 50-overs cricket.

India have registered 10 wins and 40 losses from 50 ODIs against Australia overall, while at home, their record has been worse. At home, India have won just four and lost 17 with the Aussies winning the last seven in a row going back to February 2007.

In fact, the last time India and Australia played ODI cricket at the Wankhede Stadium, the home team suffered heavy defeats in March 2012, losing by 221 runs and five wickets.

However, India have a new leadership pair of skipper Harmanpreet and coach Amol Majumdar and it will be a perfect opportunity to bolster their preparations for the 2025 ODI World Cup.

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India have added fresh talent to their arsenal going into this white-ball leg against Australia with the exciting Shreyanka Patil, Saika Ishaque, Mannat Kashyap and Titas Sadhu getting their maiden ODI call-ups.

However, India will be without Devika Vaidya who was dropped despite taking six wickets in three matches in Bangladesh.

India have played only three ODIs this year - a three-match away series in Bangladesh - which ended in a 1-1 draw with the third game culminating in a tie in controversial circumstances, leading to skipper Kaur being banned for the next two matches.

While Jemimah Rodrigues has been India’s top run-maker in three ODIs this year with 129 runs, for Australia it is their left-hand opener Beth Mooney who has amassed 387 runs with one century and two fifties in 11 matches.

Phoebe Lichfield and Ellyse Perry have also been among runs for the visitors, who will be keen to put the lessons learnt about the conditions during the one-off Test to good use as new skipper Alyssa Healy looks to win another series with an eye on the 2024 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.

The visitors will bank on Ashleigh Gardner - 21 wickets in 11 ODIs this year - to continue with her successful run.

Overall, Australia’s confidence would not have taken a beating in the Test, given white-ball cricket is a format that players are more used to, something that Healy admitted as well after the one-off Test.

Squads:

India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Shreyanka Patil, Mannat Kashyap, Saika Ishaque, Renuka Singh Thakur, Titas Sadhu, Pooja Vastrakar, Sneh Rana, Harleen Deol.

Australia: Darcie Brown, Heather Graham, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alyssa Healy (c&wk), Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney (wk), Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham.

Time: 1:30pm IST.

(with inputs from PTI)