Australia Women take an unassailable lead of 2-0 against India Women

Australia Women recorded their highest ODI score against India Women on Sunday in Brisbane as they piled up 371/8 in 50 overs and won the match by 122 runs to take an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the three-match ODI series.

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Australia were off the blocks in style, courtesy of the fiery opening partnership between Georgia Voll and Phoebe Litchfield (60). The dynamic duo stitched a 130-run stand inside 20 overs to lay a solid foundation. Voll (101), playing just her second ODI, scored a magnificent century, smashing a dozen fours. Later, Ellyse Perry joined the party as she sent the Indian bowlers on a leather hunt, crafting a blistering innings of 105 from just 75 balls. Perry registered her third century in ODIs went past 4000 ODI runs to become just the fourth Australian to achieve this feat. After Voll, Litchfield, and Perry, it was time for Beth Mooney to show her class. The elegant left-hander muscled 56 runs off 44 balls, peppering the boundary rope on eight occasions.

The visitors had a forgettable outing with the ball as they were taken to cleaners by the top four batters of Australia, each scoring 50+ runs. In this high scoring contest, Saima Thakor was the must successful bowler picking up three wickets. Deepti Sharma was the most economical bowler being the only one leaking less than six runs per over. Besides their bowling, India had an ordinary day on the field, dropping as many as four catches, including two of Perry and one each of Litchfield and Mooney.

In reply, India did not get off to the best of starts as they lost Smriti Mandhana (9) in the fourth over. Richa Ghosh (54), who was sent to open the batting for the first time in her 25-match ODI career, however, held the fort from the other end, scoring a patient half-century. Ghosh combined forces with captain Harmanpreet Kaur (38) to put together 66 runs for the third wicket. Later, Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues (43) fought tooth and nail to keep India in the hunt. Towards the end, Minnu Mani, who had picked two wickets early in the day, impressed with the bat top scoring with an unbeaten 46. However, the tourists were bowled out for 249 in 44.5 overs. Annabel Sutherland was the pick of the bowlers for Australia as she snapped four wickets.

Brief Scores: Australia 371/8 in 50 overs (E Perry 105; S Thakor 3/62) beat India 249 all out in 44.5 overs (M Mani 46 not out; A Sutherland 4/39) by 122 runs