India vs Australia: Phoebe Litchfield’s ton leads tourists to 190-run victory and 3-0 ODI series win
Phoebe Litchfield’s ton led Australia to an emphatic 190-run victory over India in the third one-day international as the tourists clinched a 3-0 series win at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Australia’s opener Litchfield (119) shared a spectacular 189-run opening stand with newly-appointed captain Alyssa Healy (82) after winning the toss and electing to bat as the tourists posted a commanding 338-7.
India’s spinner Shreyanka Patil (3-57) picked up a three-for dismissing Australia’s Beth Mooney (three), Tahlia McGrath (0) and Ashleigh Gardner (30), but the bulk of the damage had already been done by Australia’s openers.
In reply, India lost consistent wickets collapsing from 98-5 to 135-9 in nine overs with opener Smriti Mandhana top-scoring with 29 before the hosts were bowled out cheaply for 148.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s struggle with the bat continued after she was dismissed for just three and has scored a total of 17 runs in the three-match ODI series.
Litchfield smashed 16 boundaries and one six during her outing as she brought up her second ODI century after hitting Amanjot Kaur (2-70) down the ground for four.
Deepti Sharma took her 100th ODI wicket when Litchfield top edged a full delivery to cover where India’s skipper Kaur took the catch.
India’s bowlers toiled hard for wickets, the first breakthrough coming in the 29th over, when fast bowler Pooja Vastrakar (1-68) bowled Healy with a back-of-a-length delivery that went underneath her bat and crashed into her stumps.
Mooney and McGrath were dismissed in consecutive deliveries by Patil in the 36th over as Australia were reduced to 216-4.
Australia’s Georgia Wareham (centre) celebrates the dismissal of India’s Richa Ghosh
Gardner and Annabel Sutherland (23) shared a 39-run partnership to take Australia to 299-7 before Georgia Wareham (11no) and Alana King (26no) took the visitors comfortably past 300.
Megan Schutt (2-23) struck early to dismiss India’s openers by the ninth over after Yastika Bhatia (nine) was bowled by a slower delivery whilst Smriti Mandhana (29) was caught at deep cover by Garth.
Wareham (3-23) struck with her first ball when Kaur attempted to paddle sweep but was caught at leg-slip by Mooney.
Ghosh departed for 19 after she got an under-edge that deflected on to her off-stump to leave India faltering at 72-4 by the 18th over.
India’s Richa Ghosh made 19 off 29 balls during her outing in the third ODI
Litchfield took a stunning one-handed diving catch to dismiss Amanjot Kaur (three) whilst Alana King (2-21) bowled Pooja Vastrakar (14).
Annabel Sutherland mopped up the tail taking back-to-back deliveries in the 30th over which saw Shreyanka Patil (two) caught at mid-off and birthday girl Renuka Singh Thakur (0) dismissed for a golden duck.
Wareham took the final wicket when she had Mannat Kashyap (eight) caught at slip by Mooney leaving Sharma (25no) stranded at the non-strikers end as Australia wrapped the series with a dominant performance.
What’s next?
India and Australia will now play in a three-match T20 series which starts on January 5 in Mumbai at 1:30pm. Australia are currently the top T20 team in the world with India behind in third place.
