India vs Australia women’s ODI Megan Schutt stars

Australia’s Megan Schutt leads them off the field following her five-fer © Getty

The Indian batting unit combined to hit a grand total of eight fours during their entire innings in the first women’s ODI against Australia in Brisbane on Thursday.

In her innings of 35 off 29 balls, opener Phoebe Litchfield alone hit eight fours during the chase, six of which came off consecutive deliveries she faced between the sixth and seventh overs. The hosts were able to canter to the target of 101 in just 16.2 overs, winning by five wickets.

Australia made a statement Thursday in Brisbane with a convincing five-wicket victory over India in their first international match since their attempt to win the T20 World Cup four-peat was dashed with an unexpected semi-final loss. It wasn’t without a few hiccups though, as Renuka Thakur triggered a mini top-order collapse, but the 48-run opening stand had laid a solid platform for the 101-run chase following Megan Schutt’s maiden ODI fifer to shoot India down cheaply in under 35 overs. Georgia Voll was the star with the bat for Australia on debut, making an unbeaten 46.

India had no qualms about choosing to score a lot in batting-friendly conditions, but it quickly took a nosedive following some superb new-ball bowling from Schutt. Smriti Mandhana began with two crisp boundaries every time she was offered width, but a subtle change of angle from Schutt, going around, brought the first crucial breakthrough for Australia with the Indian vice captain’s wicket.

In the first of a three-match series, India collapsed spectacularly against the world champions at Allan Border Field, losing six wickets for 11 runs from 89/4. Australia did lose five wickets while chasing the modest target, but it was a minor setback for a deep-batting lineup. Jemimah Rodriguez top-scored for India with 23 off 42 balls. No other batter reached 20.

For the second time in four ODIs, India produced a woeful batting display. Against New Zealand in Ahmedabad a few months ago, India were 108/8 at one stage before a late-order resistance pushed their total to some respectability. There was no such rally in Brisbane.

India continues to be overdependent on Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur (and, to a lesser extent, Jemimah). The team’s top three ODI totals in 2024 have all come when Smriti has scored a century (the highest coming when both Smriti and Harmanpreet hit triple figures). Smriti has scored 28.5 percent of India’s ODI runs this year, while the captain and vice captain have combined for 43.6 percent. It’s understandable that the two best batters of a team account for the bulk of the runs, but the way India struggle when one or both of them fail to click is a massive concern.

Priya Punia, on comeback trail, didn’t look comfortable in the middle and struggled to rotate strike.

The pressure eventually got the better of her as she sliced a simple catch to backward point to fall for 17-ball three to Schutt. At no. 3 on her return from knee injury, Harleen Deol got a couple of chances early in her knock but failed to convert her start into something substantial. She did combine with captain Harmanpreet Kaur for a 23-run stand but fell to Ash Gardner in her very first over, trying to take on her Gujarat Giants teammate early on.

Jemimah Rodrigues formed a couple of brief partnerships, but Australia kept chipping away with regular strikes. Annabel Sutherland ended Harmanpreet’s vigil in the middle by trapping her LBW on 17, and Kim Garth brought out an absolute beauty to knock down Rodrigues’ stumps. India, in fact, lost their last six wickets for just 11 runs as Schutt returned after Deepti’s run-out to wrap up their long tail cheaply and finish with a career-best 5 for 19. India folded for an even 100 in just 34.2 overs.

Debuting for Australia, Voll got off the mark in ODI cricket with a four-first-ball

But it was her fellow opener Phoebe Litchfield who stole the limelight in the 48-run opening stand with six consecutive boundaries off pacers—three each against Titas Sadhu and Renuka Thakur—to set the tone for the modest chase. But it was one too many that proved to be the end for Litchfield, who ran down the pitch but picked out the Indian captain at mid-off with perfection to depart on 35 off 29 deliveries.

Even though a tad expensive, Thakur lent Australia a couple of more blows in the fifth of her six-over opening spell with the new ball, sending back the experienced Ellyse Perry, who nicked behind, and Beth Mooney, who drove an edge to backward point.

Voll kept going, adding 27 runs with Sutherland, who perished against the run of play as she looked to hammer a half-track leg-side but dragged it straight to the waiting hands of Mandhana at short mid-wicket. Thakur returned, but for a very expensive solitary over, in which Voll took her to the cleaners with a four and a six. Gardner, at the other end, got one from Priya Mishra in the zone and lofted it cleanly over long-on for six more, but the leggie had her revenge in the same over. Gardner danced down the track to a floated delivery and was beaten by flight and stumped on eight.

However, the hosts were just a hit away at that point, and skipper Tahlia McGrath completed the formalities second ball into the 17th over to wrap up an easy win and two crucial ICC World Championship points with it.

Brief scores: India 100 in 34.2 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 23; Megan Schutt 5-19) lost to Australia 102/5 in 16.2 overs (Georgia Voll 46*, Phoebe Litchfield 35; Renuka thakur 3-45, Priya Mishra 2-11) by 5 wickets

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