Australia led by the stand-in skipper Tahlia McGrath in the absence of their regular skipper Alyssa Healy is hosting India led by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur for a three-match ODI series as the preparation gets underway for the upcoming ICC Women’s ODI World Cup in India next year.
There was a debutant on either side, as the young 20-year-old pacer from West Bengal, Titas Sadhu was handed her ODI debut cap in the Indian camp. On the other hand, the 21-year-old youngster from Queensland, Georgia Voll was handed her maiden international cap.
Indian batters fail to adapt to the conditions as they get bowled out for 100
The Indian openers Smriti Mandhana and Priya Punia went into a shell and the lack of proactive approach, in terms of strike rotation resulted in a poor start for the visitors after skipper Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and opted to bat first at the Allan Border Field, Brisbane in the 1st ODI of the series.
Brief partnerships between Harleen Deol (19 off 34 balls) and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (17 off 31 balls) for the 3rd wicket, followed by a 20-run 4th wicket stand between Jemimah Rodrigues (23 off 42 balls), and the Indian skipper, followed by another crucial 27-run 5th wicket stand between wicket-keeper batter Richa Ghosh (14 off 35 balls) and Jemimah Rodrigues kept the scoreboard moving. The lack of better application and composure from the batters saw the wickets tumbling at regular intervals for the visitors.
India were eventually bundled out for 100 with 94 balls to spare, their 2nd lowest ODI total against Australia in Australia. Megan Schutt (6.2-1-19-5) was the pick of the bowlers for Australia picking her maiden five-wicket haul in the ODI format for Australia. Kim Garth (8-1-20-1), Ashleigh Gardner (7-0-14-1), Annabel Sutherland (5-0-13-1), and Alana King (5-1-18-1) were the other bowlers who played a crucial role in restricting the Indian batters.
India fightback, but debutant Georgia Voll guides Australia over side over the line
The Australian openers, Phoebe Litchfield and the 21-year-old debutant Georgia Voll got their side off to a positive start with a 48-run opening partnership. Renuka Singh provided some respite after a barrage of 6 consecutive boundaries from Phoebe Litchfield (35 off 29 balls), sending her back to the pavilion.
The breakthrough lifted India’s morale and triggered a spirited response from the Indian bowlers. They ran through half of the Australian batting unit in no time. However, Georgia Voll (46* off 42 balls), playing her first game at the international level, continued to impress and held her nerve to guide her side over the line with five wickets in hand and 202 balls to spare. She missed out on her well-deserved half-century on debut by just four runs. Renuka Singh Thakur (7-0-45-3) and Priya Mishra (2-0-11-2) were the stand-out performers with the ball for India.
Megan Schutt was awarded the Player of the Match for her match-winning spell of 6.2-1-19-5, playing a pivotal role in setting up a comprehensive victory as the home side went 1-0 up in the three-match ODI series.
The 2nd ODI will be played on 8th December 2024 (Sunday) at the same venue (Allan Border Field, Brisbane) from 5:15 AM IST.
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