Visitors race to six-wicket win over India in opening Women’s ODI
Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield (left) celebrates her half-century against India with teammate Ellyse Perry at Wankhede yesterday. Pic/PTI
A lower-order boost provided by Pooja Vastrakar (62*, 46b, 7x4, 2x6), who scored her fourth ODI fifty after Mumbai star Jemimah Rodrigues battled heat for a valiant 82 (77b, 7x4), her fifth half-century, saw India post their highest total against Australia in the Women’s ODIs on Thursday. However, India’s 282-8, after electing to bat at the Wankhede in the first of three ODIs, was not enough. World champions Australia recorded their second highest successful chase in ODIs, winning by six wickets with three-and-a-half overs to spare to take a 1-0 lead.
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Renuka dismisses Alyssa
India’s opening bowler Renuka Singh dismissed her ‘bunny’, Australia captain Alyssa Healy in the first over, caught brilliantly by Sneh Rana at short third man, diving to her left. Renuka, who has removed Healy four times in the Powerplay in T20Is, extended it to ODIs, in her maiden 50-over match against Australia.
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This gave the home team the hope to defend the challenging total. However, neither Renuka nor her teammates could do much, as the second wicket duo of player of the match Phoebe Litchfield (78, 89b, 8x4, 1x6) and the experienced Ellyse Perry (75, 72b, 9x4, 2x6) set the tone for an Australia victory.
33rd ODI fifty for Perry
Perry, 33, posted her 33rd ODI fifty, and 20-year-old Litchfield, who was acquired by Gujarat Giants in the WPL auction for R1 crore earlier this month, registered her third half-century in her 12th ODI. The two raised 148 in 150 deliveries. Perry was attractive with her drives and pulls, while Litchfield predominantly employed the sweep with great effect. Even after their dismissals within five overs of each other—Perry, who was struggling with cramps, lofting Deepti Sharma to long-on fielder Vastrakar and Litchfield missing a sweep to be bowled by Rana—the strong Aussie batting line-up ensured there were no dramas.
Tahlia McGrath (68*, 55b, 11x4) and Beth Mooney (42, 47b, 4x4) added 88 for the fourth wicket in 67 balls. In registering her third ODI fifty, McGrath continued to enjoy the Wankhede surface, posting her third consecutive international fifty following her 50 and 73 in the recent Test.
Earlier, the Australian bowlers did not allow any Indian partnership to settle down—the highest being 68 in 54 deliveries for the eighth wicket between Rodrigues and Vastrakar.
Even as Rodrigues struggled to cope with the hot conditions, she mustered enough strength to sweep and drive through the gaps to collect seven fours.
When four short of equalling her highest ODI score, a tired Rodrigues stepped out to off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner to hit straight into the hands of long-off fielder McGrath in the 47th over, the fourth Indian to hit straight to the fielder in trying to force the pace.
Before Rodrigues, opener Yastika Bhatia (49) pulled a full toss from leg-spinner Georgia Wareham to deep square leg (Schutt). Deepti Sharma hit a tossed-up delivery from wrist-spinner Alana King to midwicket fielder Litchfield and Amanjot Kaur pulled Wareham into King’s hands at midwicket.
Brief scores
India 282-8 in 50 overs (J Rodrigues 82, P Vastrakar 62*; G Wareham 2-55, A Gardner 2-63) lost to Australia 285-4 in 46.3 overs (P Litchfield 78, E Perry 75, T McGrath 68*) by six wickets
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