The Women in Blue suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the 1st ODI to concede a series lead in the three-match ODIs. An unusual collapse saw them bundle out for a hundred on the back of an ODI best for the veteran pacer Megan Schutt (6.2-1-19-5).
Even after a spirited fightback from a relatively young and inexperienced pack of Indian bowlers led by Renuka Singh Thakur, they managed to rip out five wickets in quick succession after a solid 48-run opening stand between Phoebe Litchfield (35 off 29 balls) and the debutant Georgia Voll (46 off 42 balls), but it eventually wasn’t enough for the visitors to earn them a series lead.
Muzumdar showered praise on the 20-year-old young leg-spinner Priya Mishra for her impressive performances in her brief experience at the international level. She accounted for two big wickets of Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner in the 1st ODI. He commented, “The bowlers, especially young ones, did a fantastic job which is a good sign for Indian cricket. Priya is in her second series in international cricket. She did well against New Zealand and was really impressive today.”
There seemed to be a lack of better application and composure from the Indian batters which cost them the opportunity to post a competitive total on the board. None of the Indian batters managed to stay at the crease for at least 50 balls in the 1st ODI. Lack of adequate time at the crease meant that the batters didn’t get used to the conditions on offer at the Allan Border Field, Brisbane.
Jemimah Rodrigues (23 off 42 balls) was the only batter from the Indian line-up who looked a bit at ease and came closer to assessing the seaming conditions on offer. Notably, her recent stint with the Brisbane Heat in the recently concluded Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) could have possibly aided her in providing a reasonable amount of familiarity with the venue.
Much like her, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, and wicket-keeper batter Richa Ghosh all got starts but failed to convert them into big scores, and that eventually ended up making a big difference in the outcome of the game. Citing an injury concern as the reason, the head coach Amol Muzumdar also gave an update on the unanimous absence of the star Indian all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar in the ongoing ODI series against Australia.
He also further added that she is undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) from an injury that she suffered during the 9th edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, held in UAE, in October, earlier this year. The Indian team certainly missed the services of her primarily as a batter first and then her aggressive instincts with the ball in hand.
India’s head coach Amol Muzumdar noted the lack of time together as a squad affected the team’s preparations ahead of the ongoing ODI series. He said, “After the New Zealand series, most of the players played two T20 domestic tournaments and some players were here for the WBBL. So, we couldn’t get much time together as a squad. We had two outdoor sessions here and one was washed out.”
Apart from Jemimah Rodrigues, a few other members of the current squad – Smriti Mandhana (Adelaide Strikers), and Deepti Sharma (Melbourne Stars) – also featured in the 2024 WBBL.
India going 1-0 down with a short series in their ongoing three-match tour to Australia, the visitors have to pull up their socks, especially in the batting department, if they are to keep the series alive, in a do-or-die encounter at the same venue [Allan Border Field, Brisbane], on 8th December 2024, from 5:15 AM IST.
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