IND-W vs AUS-W, 1st ODI: India Eves suffer crushing six-wicket defeat against Australia

Batting first, India drove on half-centuries from Jemimah Rodrigues and Pooja Vastrakar. In reply, Australia won the match with six wickets in hand.

Mumbai: Indian women succumbed to their sixth successive defeat and eighth in a row at home despite posting their highest ever ODI total against Australia as the visitors registered an impressive six-wicket win in the first match on Thursday.

Phoebe Litchfield (78) and Ellyse Perry (75) anchored the chase with a determined 148-run stand for the second wicket as Australia replied with 285/4 in 46.3 overs to beat India’s 282/8 and post a 1-0 to take the lead in the three-match series.

While Phoebe and Ellyse fell in quick succession, Beth Mooney (42 off 47 balls, 4x4s) and Tahlia McGrath (68 not out, 55 balls, 11x4s) flattened India with their 88-run stand for the fourth wicket off just 67 balls. Australia crossed the line with 21 balls and six wickets to spare, with none of the Indian bowlers able to make any impact.

ndia made a perfect start by dealing an early blow to Australia, who lost Alyssa Healy (0) in the first over when Sneh Rana flew to her left to take an acrobatic catch off Renuka Thakur. But India could not capitalize on the initial success as Australia ran away with the match, aided by an ordinary effort in the field from the hosts.

Incidentally, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s ‘golden’ arm could not come to the team’s rescue on an uneventful wicket either as they conceded 32 runs in three overs without a wicket. Ellyse notched her fifth fifty against India and 33rd overall, while Phoebe bounced back strongly from a poor performance in her one-off Test last week to fend off the Indian attack.

Ellyse and Phoebe’s 148-run partnership is now the third highest second-wicket partnership against India in ODIs. But both batters had only themselves to blame for their respective dismissals. After hitting nine fours and two sixes, Ellyse danced down the track to hit long-on one straight to Pooja Vastrakar off Deepti Sharma (1/55), after suffering cramps as her innings progressed.

At the other end, Phoebe produced 78 runs from 89 balls with eight fours and a six, in which her reverse sweep shots were the highlight. Phoebe fell shortly after Ellyse when she missed the connection after a sweep shot off Sneh Rana in the 31st over.

Earlier, a fine 82 from Jemimah Rodrigues and a solid unbeaten 62 from Pooja Vastrakar propelled India Women to their highest ODI total of 282/8. India’s previous best against Australia in ODIs was 281/4 in Derby in 2017.

With several top-order batters failing to convert starts, Jemimah battled energy-sapping heat and humidity to maintain her imperious form, reaching her second fifty in four ODIs this year, and the first against Australia.

The right-handed batswoman also recorded her second-best score in the format, with seven boundaries off 77 balls. She also forged several partnerships, including a 68-run stand with Pooja for the eighth wicket.

Pooja once again showed her great hitting skills and hit the ball to all corners of the ground to bring up her fourth fifty. The right-handed batsman hit seven fours and two sixes and remained unbeaten with 62 off just 46 balls.

India’s late surge saw the hosts collect 56 runs in the last six overs as Pooja continued after Jemimah fell to Ashleigh Gardner (2/63). As the wickets fell steadily from the outset, opener Yastika Bhatia continued to hold one end, closing in on a half-century.

But she couldn’t resist a tempting full toss from leg spinner Georgia Wareham (2/55) and was caught at deep square leg by Megan Schutt. Yastika deserves full marks though as the makeshift opener gave Jemimah and Pooja a good platform to build on with her 64-ba