The Indian team led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur had a disappointing start to the three-match ODI series in Australia. A horrific batting display, resulting in being bowled out for a hundred was at the heart of India’s defeat in the first game at the Allan Border Field, Brisbane. Megan Schutt ran through the Indian batting line-up, claiming her maiden five-wicket haul in the ODI format.
Though Schutt starred for Australia, she wasn’t very delighted with her bowling, describing she “didn’t feel that great out there.” She also credited her bowling pair, Kim Garth, as a “far better bowler.”
Schutt commented, “I thought Kimmy G was by far the better bowler and had the ball on a string at the other end and allowed me to try a few things at my end, and I got the reward with some wickets there,” in the post-game press conference.
A 92-game veteran, but Schutt continues to shine her craft, adding more strings to her bow. She shared, “I’m trying to add some strings to my bow here and there, because I feel like just predictable inswingers gets a bit easy to play. (A five-wicket haul) is definitely not something you go out there thinking (about), but it’ll be a nice thing to have ticked off once I retire.”
Though the Indian batters looked under prepared, the bowlers stepped up with a spirited fightback, pricing out five quick wickets after a promising 48-run opening stand between Phoebe Litchfield (35 off 29 balls) and the debutant Georgia Voll (46 off 42 balls).
Schutt also praised the impressive performances of the young opening duo, stating, “I thought the way Volly (Georgia Voll) came out on debut, she had to play an attacking role, she did that beautifully. Pheebs (Phoebe Litchfield) obviously would have been frustrated for the first couple of overs, and then came out, hit some boundaries and I think she played well.”
The visitors eventually ended up on the losing side by 5 wickets. Reflecting on India’s heavy defeat, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur hailed the fight back by her bowlers and pinpointed that batters need to convert their starts, stitching substantial partnerships.
She said, “We bowled well even though it was a disappointing total on board… A few of us got starts in the batting but we were not able to take the batting till the end and we should work on the partnerships. The Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur reflects on the positives and also highlights the need for stitching substantial partnerships.”
The 2nd ODI of the series will also be played at the same venue, Allan Border Field, on 8th December 2024 from 5:15 AM IST. It is a must-win game for India to keep the ODI series alive.
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