Hobart, Feb 28: Outclassed in the first two ODIs, a struggling India will need to address their batting frailties to salvage some pride when they face a dominant Australia in the third and final women’s ODI here on Sunday.
World champions India have failed to post competitive totals in both matches, allowing Australia to cruise to victory with little resistance.
In the opening game, India slumped to three wickets down inside the powerplay and never quite recovered. Though the visitors corrected that in the second ODI with a 78-run opening stand, the middle and lower order failed to capitalise.
India lost five wickets for just 52 runs between the 17th and 31st overs, an area they need to address.
India were bowled out for 214 in the first ODI and managed a below-par 251 for nine in the second, totals that Australia chased down comfortably to maintain their record of winning all bilateral ODI series against India.
Harmanpreet Kaur and her team will need a markedly improved batting display to prevent Australia from completing another whitewash, similar to the one in late 2024.
Young opener Pratika Rawal rebounded from a duck to score a fifty, while Smriti Mandhana made 31 and 58 in the two matches.
Harmanpreet also registered two half-centuries.
However, the lack of significant contributions from senior batters such as Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma has hurt India.
“I think in the last two games we didn’t bat well, and I think that really cost us. So I think it’s only about batting well and batting deep, and hopefully in the next game we’ll do that,” Harmanpreet had said after the second ODI.
The bowling unit too has been inconsistent and lacked penetration.
Deepti has taken three wickets, but Shree Charani, though she took two wickets in first game, was expensive in the second match.
The pace duo of Kashvee Gautam and Kranti Gaud will need to be more consistent and strike early to prevent Australia from dominating the powerplay.
India’s fielding was also not upto the mark with Gaud, Mandhana and Richa Ghosh dropping chances.
Australia, in contrast, have ticked most boxes.
Georgia Voll’s commanding century and Phoebe Litchfield’s fluent strokeplay powered a statement chase in the second ODI, while Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy and Annabel Sutherland had starred in the first game.
The Australian bowling attack, led by Megan Schutt and Ashleigh Gardner, has also impressed with collective contributions.
Besides the two, Alana King and Sutherland too have been among wickets.
India had won the T20I series 2-1, but Australia’s two ODI victories have given them a 6-4 lead in the multi-format series.
India will look to bounce back in the final ODI and the subsequent one-off Test in Perth to avoid ending the tour on a disappointing note. (PTI)
Match starts: 9.20 am IST.
