The buzz for the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 has well and truly begun and leading that charge is a blockbuster bilateral contest between two powerhouses—India and Australia.
Acting as a high-voltage curtain-raiser to the global spectacle, the Australia Women’s team is set to tour India in September 2025 for a fiercely awaited three-match ODI series. Originally slated to unfold at the legendary MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the venues have now undergone a significant update due to infrastructural developments.
In a fresh update from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the first two matches of the Women’s ODI Series will now be played at the newly inaugurated PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh, while the third and final showdown will take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. This shift follows the revamp of pitches and the outfield at Chennai’s iconic Chepauk.
The revised schedule remains unchanged in terms of dates and timings. The first ODI will kick off on Sunday, 14th September 2025 at 1:30 PM IST, followed by the second on Wednesday, 17th September 2025 at 1:30 PM IST, both in New Chandigarh. The grand finale will unfold in the capital on Saturday, 20th September 2025 at 1:30 PM IST, marking the final dress rehearsal for both squads ahead of the World Cup.
This is no ordinary ODI series—this is a clash of cricketing cultures, history, and legacy. India will enter the fray with one last opportunity to fine-tune their squad combinations post their England tour, which is scheduled from June 28 to July 22, encompassing five T20Is and three ODIs. Beyond that, these are the only official matches left for the Women in Blue before they embark on their World Cup campaign, beginning September 29 and concluding on October 26.
Historically dominant, Australia has outclassed India in 46 out of 56 ODIs, with India managing only 10 victories. The last time India tasted success against the Aussies was on September 21, 2021, famously snapping Australia’s incredible 26-match winning streak.
Since then, however, the Aussies have reasserted their dominance, winning seven ODIs in a row against India. The most recent face offs between the two sides only reinforced that narrative. In December 2023, Australia completed a 3-0 whitewash in Mumbai—claiming wins by 6 wickets, 3 runs, and a commanding 190-run margin. Their supremacy extended into December 2024, when they hosted India and triumphed by 5 wickets, 122 runs, and 83 runs in a ruthlessly efficient series sweep.
That tour also saw the rise of Georgia Voll, who burst onto the scene with a sensational debut, hammering 173 runs across three matches, including a brilliant 101. India found a silver lining in Smriti Mandhana, whose tally of 122 runs, headlined by a sublime 105, offered a glimmer of resistance.
Australia’s bowling cartel of Megan Schutt (8 wickets), Ashleigh Gardner (7), and Annabel Sutherland (6) operated with machine-like precision, while Arundhati Reddy was the lone bright spot in India’s bowling unit, bagging 4 wickets in a single appearance.
With only two assignments between now and the mega event—the England tour and the home series against Australia—India’s preparation hinges on every over bowled and every run scored in this series. For Australia, it’s about continuing their hold, sending a strong message, and reinforcing their supremacy as the team to beat.
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