AUS-W VS IND-W, 1st ODI: Mooney, Healy help Australia take 1-0 lead with comprehensive win

Match Overview

Australia and India faced off in the first women’s ODI of the three-match series at Brisbane's Allan Border Field on February 24. India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bat first.

India, playing their first 50-over international since lifting the World Cup trophy at home, endured a batting failure on a bouncy track they struggled to come to terms with. Opener Pratika Rawal walked back for a two-ball duck as Megan Schutt pinned her lbw, while Shafali Varma, pushed at No. 3 to accommodate Rawal at the top, gave a return catch to Darcie Brown after scoring a sluggish 4 off 17.

Jemimah Rodrigues walked back with a single-digit score too, edging Ashleigh Gardner behind. India's vice-captain Smriti Mandhana watched the collapse unfold but stood undeterred at her end, steadying the ship with a 48-run partnership with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. Right when it felt that the duo would guide India to a safe territory, Mandhana top-edged Tahlia McGrath to fine leg, where Alana King completed the catch to send her back for a well-compiled 58 off 68 with seven fours.

Soon afterwards, Deepti Sharma fell in a similar fashion, top-edging King. Richa Ghosh got her eyes in, hanging around for 38 balls for her 23, but fell to a brilliant diving catch from Georgia Voll off Sophie Molineux.

Harmanpreet continued to bat with knee pain as she got support from Kashvee Gautam, who scored 43 off 44 with three fours and sixes apiece. Their 53-run stand for the seventh wicket was broken when Harmanpreet was dismissed for an 84-ball 53 by Gardner, thanks to another fielding brilliance from Voll in the deep. Gautam was the last wicket to fall as India were restricted to an unimposing total.

Harmranpreet did not take the field in India's defence, with the BCCI confirming that she sustained a left knee injury while batting. Mandhana took charge in her absence. Australia had injury issues of their own, as both Ellyse Perry and Kim Garth were ruled out of the series with quad strains.

However, Perry's absence seemed like a small concern for the hosts, as captain Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield added 55 for the first wicket at a brisk pace. Healy looked at ease in her 70-ball 50 and took her time with not a big target on the board, while Litchfield scored a run-a-ball 32 with six fours.

India got their first breakthrough with the introduction of spin, as left-armer Sree Charani drew Litchfield out before having her stumped and struck on the very next ball, having Voll caught at extra cover for a golden duck. Healy joined Beth Mooney in a 64-run partnership to ensure that the twin strikes did not derail Australia. However, she fell to Kranti Goud immediately after reaching her half-century, courtesy of Jemimah’s brilliant catch at backward point.

India had another moment come their way when Annabel Sutherland hit Shafali straight to deep midwicket, but Kashvee Gautam grassed it. She was 16 at the time and made India pay, staying unbeaten on 48 off 44 with four fours and a six, adding 85 runs for the fourth wicket with Mooney, which was the highlight of the match. With only 10 needed, Mooney toe-ended one to Mandhana at extra cover, falling for 76 off 79. It made little difference when Sutherland took Australia across the line with a maximum as the hosts won by six wickets and 70 balls to spare. 

Top run-scorer of the match

Top wicket-taker of the match

Player of the match

Beth Mooney

Mooney oversaw the chase with a well-paced 79-ball 76 with five fours and two sixes. She was involved in two critical stands, adding 64 off 77 for the third wicket with Healy and then 85 off 80 for the fourth with Sutherland.

What the captains said

Winning Team Captain, Alyssa Healy (AUS-W)

Pretty pleased with that. A little bit was put on us after the T20 series about how we would bounce back. To come out and play the way we did today was clinical. Proud of the group for the bounceback. We've got to do it all again in Hobart. Like I said at the toss, we really enjoy this format and are good at it. We like to keep the pressure on over long periods. It suits us. Hopefully we can go to Hobart and adapt to the conditions there quickly as well. It's an astonishing record 21-0 (at this venue). Hopefully the girls can keep it going. It's probably about dressing room recovery leading into that game. Some tired bodies around. Have had really heavy seasons. Really pleased for tonight, hopefully the girls are buoyed by that.

Losing Team Captain (Stand-in) Smriti Mandhana (IND-W)  

We started with the bat with two wickets down which is never easy. We did really well in terms of coming back. Wicket didn't play the way we thought it would. I haven't seen her yet but I think she'll be fine (talking about Harman). We've been playing good cricket so it's not like we'll change much after one loss. We have to come together as a batting unit and post a good total. But we won't think about it a lot. Have two days, will reflect on it and come back stronger.