Captain Harmanpreet Kaur admitted India were unable to sustain their early momentum after India concluded a demanding multi-format tour of Australia with defeat in the one-off Test at the WACA Ground. The tour featured three T20 Internationals (T20Is), three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and a Pink-Ball Test, giving both teams an opportunity to compete across formats.
India began the series on a strong note in the T20I leg, winning the three-match contest 2–1 and showing encouraging form with both bat and ball. The visitors produced disciplined bowling performances and managed to hold their nerve in key moments to clinch the series, briefly putting the hosts under pressure early in the tour.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically once the teams moved to the 50-over format. Australia dominated the ODI series, winning all three matches to complete a 3–0 clean sweep. India struggled to find consistency with the bat in the longer limited-overs format, while Australia capitalised on crucial moments to maintain control of the series.
The tour concluded with the highly anticipated pink-ball Test at the WACA, where Australia once again proved too strong. The hosts controlled key phases of the match and eventually secured a comprehensive victory to wrap up the tour with another win in the longest format.
Reflecting on the overall tour, Kaur acknowledged that India had started strongly but could not maintain that level of performance through the later stages of the series. “We started really well, playing good cricket in the T20s but we were unfortunately not able to continue,” Kaur said after the match.
Despite the disappointing finish, the Indian captain said playing in Australian conditions remains an important learning experience for her side. The tour also featured matches across formats, something Kaur believes benefits the development of the team. “Always nice playing in Australia. It was great fun and in future also, we hope we will keep getting such (multi-format) tournaments – it gives us confidence,” she said.
The pink-ball Test at the WACA presented unique challenges for the visiting side, particularly with the limited exposure many players have had to day-night Test cricket. Kaur noted that while the conditions were difficult, India remains eager to play more red-ball matches in the future. “Test cricket is something we want to play. Pink-ball was certainly a challenge,” she admitted.
While the results did not go in India’s favour in the ODI and Test formats, Kaur praised the support staff for helping the players through a demanding tour. Many members of the squad arrived in Australia after participating in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), making the series a physically and mentally intense stretch of cricket.
The captain also expressed gratitude to the fans who supported the team throughout the tour, both at the ground and from back home in India. “Staff has been great and they have given us a lot of support. Thank you to the Indian fans and cricket fans. Today was not a great day but in the future, we can hopefully make them proud,” Kaur said.
Despite the mixed results, the tour offered valuable experience for a relatively new Indian side as they continue preparing for major international competitions, including the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. For Kaur and her team, the challenge now will be to build on the positives from the T20 series and convert those performances into consistent results across all formats.
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