With eyes on the home Women’s World Cup later next year, following a 3-match One-Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand, India is next slated to tour Australia for three ODIs in early December. However, ahead of the series, India has suffered an injury setback as returning keeper-batter Yastika Bhatia has been ruled out once again, with Uma Chetry confirmed as her replacement.
Yastika top-scored for India in the first Twenty20 International (T20I) against Bangladesh in April 2024 but was ruled out of the remainder of the five-match series due to a left knee injury. Subsequently, she missed the home series against South Africa and the Asia Cup. Though named in the T20 World Cup squad, she did not feature in any games.
In the recent ODI series against New Zealand, Yastika made her long-awaited return, registering scores of 37, 12, and 35. Immediately after, she flew to Australia to join the Melbourne Stars for the 2024 Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), one of six Indian players to feature in the competition this season.
However, her promising stint with the Stars was cut short due to a minor wrist injury, later confirmed as a fracture. Yastika finished as the second-highest run-scorer for the Stars, amassing 154 runs in six outings at an average of 25.66 and a strike rate of 104.76. With the fracture confirmed on November 21, her availability for the ODIs was cast in doubt. Nevertheless, with a packed home season ahead, Yastika will be hoping for a swift return.
Meanwhile, Uma returns to the squad, replacing Yastika once again. Although she was part of the home series against South Africa, she is yet to make her ODI debut. Uma, however, made her T20I debut during the T20I leg of that series, scoring 9 runs, and happens to be her only batting outing across four matches for India so far. She also featured in India ‘A’ tour of Australia, and while her performances were modest overall, she concluded the tour on a high note with a solid 47 in the one-off red-ball game.
Uma has earned this call-up on the back of a sublime form displayed in the ongoing 2024-25 domestic season. She scored 102 runs at a strike rate of 125.92 across three matches in the 2024 Senior Women’s T20 Trophy. Building on that momentum, she excelled in the Senior Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy, accumulating 231 runs in four matches at an average of 57.75 and a strike rate of 154.00.
India’s tour of Australia will commence with the 1st ODI on December 5 at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane, followed by the 2nd ODI at the same venue on December 8. The series will then move to Perth, where the 3rd and final ODI is scheduled for December 11, at WACA Ground.
India women squad for Australia ODIs:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh (WK), Tejal Hasabnis, Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Saima Thakor, Uma Chetry (WK)
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