India chase historic maiden WODI series triumph against Australia

New Delhi, Sep 19 (PTI) Riding high on a record-breaking performance, India will eye a historic first ever women's ODI series win over the mighty Australia when the two sides clash in the decider of the three-match fixture here on Saturday.

The hosts have never managed to conquer the all-powerful world champions in a bilateral series, and a victory here would not only deliver that elusive triumph but also provide a timely surge of belief and momentum heading into the World Cup starting September 30.

However, it will be easier said than done.

After being outplayed in the opener, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team roared back with a stunning 102-run victory, which was Australia's heaviest defeat in terms of runs. It was also India's first win over them in 12 matches.

Yet, for all the broken records, glaring flaws remain. India's fielding was erratic as they put down as many as six catches in the second game, taking their tally of dropped chances to 10 across two matches, most of them regulation.

There were flashes of brilliance too, but the inconsistency is concerning, especially in contrast to the sharp fielding display the same group produced in England just a few months ago.

"Today also we missed a few chances, but our bowlers kept giving us chances so that we could capitalise and keep the result in our favour," Harmanpreet admitted after the win.

Credit, though, must go to the bowlers for continually creating opportunities. Seamer Renuka Thakur, who returned to international cricket after recovering from a stress fracture, and her pace partner Kranti Goud choked the Australian top order, while the spinners kept the pressure on through the middle overs.

The inclusion of Arundhati Reddy as a third seam option also worked well for India. The hosts, however, are expected to go with a different combination once again.

"This series is where we want to give chance to each and everyone. That is something we kept in our mind -- to try a few combinations," the captain said.

With the bat, a familiar pattern has emerged. Openers Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal provided brisk starts in both games, but the middle order has struggled to stitch partnerships.

Mandhana has been responsible for a major chunk of India's runs this series. With Shafali Verma no longer in the scheme of things, the vice-captain has taken on the role of the aggressor.

She cracked her 12th ODI century in the second game, the only score above 40 in India's total of 292.

It is now imperative for the likes of Harmanpreet, Harleen Deol and Richa Ghosh to step up, especially with Jemimah Rodrigues ruled out due to a viral infection.

Australia, meanwhile, will be desperate to bounce back.

Skipper Alyssa Healy admitted her side had been "outplayed" in the second ODI, and the eight-time world champions will be keen to iron out their flaws while adjusting to the sweltering Indian heat.

The loss was a rare setback for Australia, who had gone unbeaten in 13 ODIs since their defeat to South Africa in February 2024.

"We came over here with the expectations of it being a huge challenge, not just playing India, but throughout the whole World Cup," Heally said after the defeat.

"So these games are invaluable in terms of practice and getting ourselves ready for the matches to come as well." Australia are also expected to welcome back opener Phoebe Litchfield, who missed the second game with a low-grade quad strain.

Teams (From): ========== India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Uma Chetry, Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh (wk), Kranti Goud, Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Sneh Rana, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Tejal Hasabnis, Sayali Satghare, Deepti Sharma, Shree Charani, Radha Yadav.

Australia: Alyssa Healy (c & wk), Tahlia McGrath, Darcie Brown, Nicole Faltum, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Charli Knott, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.

Match starts: 1:30pm IST. PTI APA PM APA PM PM