India fold for 148, suffering their third-biggest defeat in ODIs
Srinidhi Ramanujam02-Jan-2024The Alyssa Healy era began on a high note for Australia as they completed a 3-0 ODI whitewash against India in Mumbai on Tuesday.After Phoebe Litchfield’s classy hundred and Healy’s 82 propelled the team to 338 for 7, their spinners ran through the India line-up to hand Australia a mammoth 190-run victory. This was India’s third-biggest loss in ODIs.India were never in the chase, courtesy two brilliant catches from Litchfield and Tahlia McGrath and some disciplined bowling on a dry Wankhede pitch. The collapse started with Yastika Bhatia getting cleaned up by Megan Schutt in the fifth over. Four overs later, Smriti Mandhana, who had started steadily, perished for 29 while looking to go big as Schutt struck again. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur continued her poor run of form, getting dismissed for 3, finishing with a total of 17 in the series.Richa Ghosh, India’ new No.3, survived 29 deliveries before she was bowled by Georgia Wareham in the 16th over when she mistimed a sweep. But the game swung Australia’s way when Litchfield pulled off a sensational, one-handed catch at cover to send Jemimah Rodrigues back for 25, in the 21st over. Alana King then bowled a superb legbreak, pitching on leg stump and turning away to take Pooja Vastrakar’s off stump to leave India reeling at 128 for 7. Wareham collected three wickets while King, Sutherland and Schutt accounted for two each to bowl India out for 148 in the 33rd over.After having opted to bat, Litchfield and Healy dominated proceedings, sharing 189 runs for the opening wicket – the highest partnership for any wicket for Australia against India as the visitors also notched up their highest total against this opponent in women’s ODIs.Litchfield’s clarity and crispness in her footwork were more evident in the dead rubber than in the other matches on this tour as she made 119 off 125 balls. In contrast to the 63 she scored in the second match, where she took time to settle in, her second ODI hundred had plenty of boundaries – 16 fours and one six in all. Unlike her captain and opening partner, she is not a big hitter of the ball, but Litchfield was solid, and proactive and backed her technique to dominate spin on her first tour to India.The pair kept the run rate hovering around six throughout the 29 overs they batted, with Australia eyeing 350 at one stage.Smriti Mandhana was the only India batter to cross 25•BCCI
It was an important knock for Healy – the batter and the captain. Taking over captaincy from Meg Lanning on this tour, it was also Healy’s first half-century as full-time captain. She had a lean 2023 where she did not cross fifty in ODIs even once in eight innings and had scores of 0 and 13 in the series. However, on Tuesday, she put that behind and looked positive from the outset. She found the gaps comfortably and brought in her lofted shots when players were in the ring. Her 82 is also the highest individual score by a wicketkeeper-captain in women’s ODIs.Both batters targeted debutant left-arm spinner Mannat Kashyap, who replaced allrounder Sneh Rana. They hit a six and a four each as Kashyap conceded 23 off her first two overs.India needed 29 overs to break the stand, with Pooja Vastrakar ending Healy’s innings with the short ball. The dismissal slowed Australia down for a bit with Amanjot Kaur also getting her first wicket of the series by trapping Ellyse Perry lbw in the 33rd over. Shreyanka Patil, who was the star of the India bowling attack, picked up two wickets in two balls to dismiss Beth Mooney and McGrath soon after. From 189 for 0, Australia suddenly slipped to 223 for 4. Patil, playing her second ODI, varied her pace and bowled tight lines to end with figures of 3 for 57.At the other end, Amanjot added one more wicket to her name when she removed Annabel Sutherland for 23. Cameos from Gardner, Wareham and King, though, helped Australia surpass 300. King, in particular, punished Vastrakar for two sixes and a four in the 50th over to remain unbeaten on 26 off 14.India did not have a great day in the field, dropping two catches in the afternoon. In all, they have dropped ten catches in this series.With India hosting the ODI World Cup in 2025, they might have more questions than answers right now, though the series was not part of the Women’s Championship.