India captain Harmanpreet Kaur. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
The Women in Blue are in placing distance of beating Australia in a bilateral collection for the primary time ever.
If they might deliver their kind from the neighbouring Chandigarh, the place they inflicted their heaviest defeat by way of runs on the Aussies, to the ultimate ODI on the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday, they might have pulled off considered one of their biggest achievements.
And with the World Cup getting underway on September 30, the timing might hardly have been higher. But, the Indians know that it’ll by no means be straightforward in opposition to Alyssa Healy’s ladies.
The Australians had received their final 13 ODIs in a row earlier than they had been outplayed by the hosts on Wednesday. They would certainly be decided to indicate the world why they’ve been such a formidable group for thus lengthy.
They would significantly be eager to ship Smriti Mandhana again to the dressing room as rapidly as attainable.
The elegant left-hander has been a smiling murderer of the Aussie bowlers within the final two video games. In the primary match, she had made 58 off 63 balls earlier than she was run out following a mix-up along with her opening associate Pratika Rawal.
In the second, she went on to make a century – her twelfth in ODIs – the 117 off 91 balls would show simply an excessive amount of even for Australia’s sturdy batting line-up.
The vice-captain could also be at her finest, however India would need the captain Harmanpreet Kaur, too, to run into kind. In the final match, other than Smriti, solely all-rounder Deepti Sharma had managed to achieve 40.
But in that recreation, India’s bowling clicked. The skilled seamer Renuka, who was getting back from an harm, and her younger associate Kranti Goud, compelled Australia to the again foot with the brand new ball and so they had been effectively backed up by the spinners. The Australians would wish to guarantee their unbeaten file within the bilateral collection in opposition to India, relationship again to 1984, is maintained.
They shall be seeking to their captain Healy, who might simply make 27 and 9 within the collection to this point, to guide from the entrance as soon as once more. And their bowlers could be eager to be extra restrictive.
The groups (from): India: Harmanpreet Kaur (Capt.), Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Tejal Hasabnis, Richa Ghosh (wk), Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh, N. Shree Charani, Sneh Rana and Uma Chetry (wk).
Australia: Alyssa Healy (Capt.), Tahlia McGrath, Nicole Faltum (wk), Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Charli Knott, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney (wk), Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll and Georgia Wareham.
Match begins at 1.30 p.m.
Published – September 20, 2025 01:18 am IST
