India vs Australia Womens Cricket: Australia leads 1-0 with half-centuries from Litchfield, Perry, McGrath

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Mumbai . In a thrilling match at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, Australia showcased its batting prowess and won over India by 6 wickets with 21 balls to spare in the first match of the three-match ODI series.

Ellyse Perry and the promising Phoebe Litchfield grabbed the headlines as India chased a strong total of 282 with all their might.

Chasing the target, Australia got off to a challenging start and lost the wicket of Alyssa Healy in the opening over itself. However, Perry’s aggressive start and Litchfield’s deliberate approach laid the foundation for an impressive partnership.

Perry expressed his intentions from the very beginning with the help of nine fours and two sixes in his stormy innings of 72 balls. Meanwhile, Litchfield displayed maturity with an innings studded with eight fours and a six off 89 balls in his 12th ODI and India debut.

The left-right pair’s 148-run partnership set the target for Australia and even after Perry’s departure, Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath stepped up to the challenge. McGrath, playing the role of full-time vice-captain, led the innings with an unbeaten 68 runs.

Pooja Vastrakar got a good hit, but it proved too late for India as Australia won with 6 wickets to spare.

Earlier, India faced initial setbacks, but the team recovered due to a commendable eighth wicket partnership between Jemimah Rodrigues and Pooja Vastrakar. Rodrigues continued his Test form in ODIs as well, showing patience in the scorching heat of Mumbai and scoring a brilliant 82 runs. Vastrakar provided strong support by playing a explosive inning of 62 not out, which helped India score 82 runs in the last ten overs.

However, the late surge was not enough to overcome the absence of vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and the Australian batting lineup. Australia’s spinners, Wareham and Ashley Gardner, played a key role and took two wickets each in restricting India’s innings.

As the series progresses, Australia’s vigorous run chase is setting the stage for an exciting battle between the two cricketing powerhouses. The resilience of both the teams looks to promise more exciting moments in the upcoming ODIs.

–IANS

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