In the opening match of their three-game One-Day International series, Australia defeated India by eight wickets in Mullanpur, establishing a 1-0 lead. The series commenced following pre-match comments from Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur and coach Amol Muzumdar, who had articulated confidence in India’s recent advancements in fielding and their capacity to consistently challenge the Australian team.
Batting first, India posted a total of 281/7. The innings featured a strong start from openers Pratika Rawal, who contributed 64 runs, and Smriti Mandhana, with 58 runs. Their partnership marked their fifth century stand across 15 innings together. India’s scoring momentum, however, reportedly decreased after vice-captain Mandhana’s run-out. While both teams recorded similar scores after the initial 10 overs, India managed 152/3 in the subsequent 30 middle overs, contrasting with Australia’s 196/1 during the same period.
Australia successfully chased the target in 44.1 overs. This pursuit was anchored by half-centuries from Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, and Annabel Sutherland. India’s overall performance in fielding, batting, and bowling during the match was observed to be below the team’s stated expectations.
Source: indianexpress.com