After a poor few days last week in the Test match, Australia were back to their best in the format that suits them the best as the Alyssa Healy-led side registered a clinical win in the first ODI against India at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, December 28. Jemimah Rodrigues and Pooja Vastrakar's attractive knocks helped India get to 282, a score which had some respectability and competitiveness to it but no way it was a winning score and as Australia made it look, it seemed easily 30-40 short.
Australia took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series on the back of fifties from Ellyse Perry, Phoebe Litchfield and Tahlia McGrath. A wicket in the first over of Renulka Singh Thakur, which has become a reality like death and taxes, that too of the opposition skipper Healy gave India just the booster shot they needed at the start of their bowling innings as Sneh Rana plucked out a stunner at short-third. However, Perry and Litchfield didn't really let the Indian women rejoice after that.
Perry played aggressively while Litchfield donned the role that Meg Lanning played, hold one end but keep playing your shots. The partnership built slowly and steadily and seeped under India's skin. It got a century soon as both completed their fifties. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur tried everything whether the pace of Renuka or Pooja or the spin of Saika Ishaque or the veterans Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma, but nothing was working.
Deepti finally broke the 148-run stand but it seemed a bit late as Litchfield was set and there were the likes of Beth Mooney, McGrath and Ash Gardener to come. Sneh dismissed Litchfield a few overs later and India sensed an opening. But McGrath and Mooney sucked all the momentum with an 88-run stand.
Vastrakar dismissed Mooney but the match was done by then. McGrath smashed a quickfire fifty while Gardener stayed unbeaten till the end to help Australia leave the loss of the Test match behind.
Earlier, an Indian team without Smriti Mandhana didn't know whom to play at which position. Richa Ghosh was batting at No.3 while Jemimah came in to bat at No.5. Jemimah is in such great touch that she would be successful at any number. After Yastika Bhatia's 49, the sole bright spot in the top order, the rest of the order showed little to no resistance as India were in danger of getting bowled out for 220.
At 182/7, Jemimah was joined by Vastrakar who came out with an intent and both pegged the Australians back. The 68-run partnership off just nine overs saw India reach 250 and Jemimah missed a well-deserved century. However, Vastrakar stayed till the end and ensured that India got to a strong score but eventually, it wasn't enough.
