India Women and Australia Women have locked horns in intense and nail-biting encounters often keeping fans glued to their television sets. However, statistics tell a different story all-together. One thing remains striking, since 1984, India has never won a bilateral ODI series against Australia. This is a serious stat that tells a bigger story. Australia, seven-time World Cup champions, have set the invincible benchmark, while India is still chasing its first ICC senior title.
Australia women have won all 11 bilateral ODI series they’ve played against India:
- 4-0 in IND, 1984
- 4-3 in IND, 2004
- 3-0 in AUS, 2006
- 5-0 in AUS, 2008
- 3-0 in IND, 2012
- 2-1 in AUS, 2016
- 3-0 in IND, 2018
- 2-1 in AUS, 2021
- 3-0 in IND, 2023
- 3-0 in AUS, 2024
- 2-1 in IND, 2025
The 1984 series was a harsh introduction for India, as Australia swept the four-match contest 4-0. In the first ODI, the visitors chased down 164 with three wickets to spare, with Lindsay Reeler named player of the match. The second game was even more telling, where Australia managed only 133/9, but India crumbled for 106, handing their opponents a 2-0 lead. From there, the gulf in class was clear. In Pune and Chennai, Australia looked sharper and far more skilled, sealing the series with convincing wins by five wickets and six wickets. It was the start of something special for Australia and a reminder of how far India had to go.
When Australia toured India in 2004 for a seven-match series, the contest turned out to be far more competitive. Australia started strong, taking the first two games, before India hit back in the third. The visitors then stretched their lead with commanding wins in the fourth and fifth ODIs, by eight wickets and 32 runs. With the series already out of reach, India showed remarkable composure, clinching the last two matches to close the gap to 3-4. Mithali Raj topped the run charts with 289 runs, just edging past Australia’s Karen Rolton with 288, while Neetu David impressed with 12 wickets across seven innings.
In 2006, India toured Australia and subsequently New Zealand for a three-match and a five-match ODI series respectively, but the hosts proved too strong once again. Australia took the opener by six wickets, followed it up with a narrow 12-run win in the second, and then sealed the series in dominant fashion with a nine-wicket victory in the final game. The 3-0 scoreline underlined the gap between the two sides at the time, especially in Australian conditions.
India’s 2008/09 tour of Australia was a long one, but in the ODIs the hosts once again proved far too strong. The matches in Sydney, North Sydney, and Canberra highlighted the gulf in performance. Alex Blackwell was outstanding, piling up 255 runs in five innings at an average of 85, while Mithali Raj was India’s best (138 runs) with a modest average of 27.60. The bowling told a similar story, no Indian featured among the top five wicket-takers, with Nooshin Al Khadeer finishing as India’s best, taking just three wickets from four games. Australia won the series 5-0.
Australia’s 2012 tour of India brought more disappointment for the hosts, as they were swept 0-3. The series began with a 30-run defeat for India, followed by a crushing 221-run loss in the second match. Australia wrapped things up with a five-wicket win in the third before sealing the whitewash. Meg Lanning was the standout with the bat (184 runs), averaging 61.33, while Harmanpreet Kaur offered some resistance for India with 126 runs in three innings. Ellyse Perry led the bowling charts with nine wickets, underlining Australia’s all-round superiority.
As part of the ICC Women’s Championship in 2016, India played three ODIs in Australia. The hosts started strongly in Canberra, winning the first match by 101 runs, and then followed up with a six-wicket victory in the second. India, however, showed fight in the final game, registering a five-wicket win, thanks to a composed 89 off 113 balls from Mithali Raj, who was named player of the match. Australia still sealed the series 2-1, but India’s solitary win was a much-needed boost.
In March 2018, Australia toured India and the two teams played another three-match ODI series in Vadodara, which Australia won 3-0. Australia were comfortable victors in match one, winning by 8 wickets, then in the second match by 60 runs, and finished the series as champions in match three, winning by 97 runs. Jess Jonassen was the star with the ball for Australia taking eight wickets across three innings, while Nicole Bolton was the leading run-scorer with 195 runs at an average of 97.50.
In 2021, Mackay hosted a three-match ODI series between the two teams. From the outset, the Australian hosts were in excellent form, with Darcie Brown taking four wickets, resulting in an easy nine-wicket win for Australia in the first ODI. The second ODI saw Beth Mooney score 125*, resulting in a match-winning score and a five-wicket victory for the hosts. However, the final ODI saw India bounce back with a win, also by two wickets, aided by a brilliant 3/37 from Jhulan Goswami, who was named the player of the match. The final series score was 2-1 in favour of Australia, but overall it was a resilient show from India in the final ODI.
In 2023, Australia continued their dominance in the ODI fixtures, winning all three matches, taking the series easily 3-0. The standout Indian performer was Jemimah Rodrigues, scoring 151 runs across three innings. Australia’s successes were based on strong performances from Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Wareham, who were simply too strong across the series.
Following a disappointing T20 World Cup earlier in 2024, Australia came back against India with a clean sweep. The three-match series included Georgia Voll’s century in Brisbane where she established herself as a key player in the lineup. Annabel Sutherland also shone, contributing 122 runs and six wickets. Australia clearly outplayed India taking the series easily 3-0.
Right before the 2025 World Cup, the two teams met recently in a three-match ODI series. The first match at New Chandigarh went Australia’s way, as some costly dropped catches led to an eight wicket win while Phoebe Litchfield’s batting led them to victory. India came back in the second ODI thanks to a brilliant century from Smriti Mandhana as they won the match by 102 runs, aided by Kranti Goud’s three wickets.
The final match turned out to be a high-scoring thriller, including Australia posting a monumental 412, bolstered by Beth Mooney putting up 138 from just 75 balls. India responded with vice-captain Mandhana hitting the fastest century in ODI history for India but fell short by 43 runs. India lost the series 1-2 but found a way to gain confidence and answers before the World Cup on home soil.
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