India women aim for another triumph against Australia in first ODI

India Women, coming off a 2-1 T20I series win over Australia , are ready to face the hosts in the first of three women’s ODIs here on Tuesday, aiming to continue their strong run on Australian soil.

India had also beaten Australia in last year’s World Cup semifinal in Navi Mumbai , giving them a psychological edge as they enter the ODI leg. The recent T20I triumph marked Australia’s first bilateral series defeat since 2017 , highlighting India’s growing consistency in white-ball cricket.

Australia, smarting from the T20I loss, are eager to bounce back. Alyssa Healy , returning after missing the T20I leg, will captain the side in her farewell ODI appearance before retiring after the one-off Test against India starting March 6 in Perth. Leg-spinner Alana King also returns to the ODI and Test squads, adding depth to Australia’s bowling attack. With match-winners like Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, and Tahlia McGrath , Australia’s lineup remains a formidable challenge.

For India, the squad sees the inclusion of Kashvee Gautam, Harleen Deol, and Pratika Rawal, replacing Arundhati Reddy, Bharti Fulmali, and Shreyanka Patil. Rawal, returning from an ankle injury, strengthens India’s batting depth. Opener Smriti Mandhana , in superb form after her match-winning 82 in the T20I decider, will anchor the innings, with Jemimah Rodrigues , who scored 127 in last year’s World Cup clash, expected to form another key partnership. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur adds muscle to the batting and can contribute crucial overs as an all-rounder.

India’s bowlers also impressed in the T20I series. Renuka Thakur and Sree Charani were among the wickets, while veteran Deepti Sharma will aim to bounce back after a modest T20I showing. India’s combination of in-form batters and a balanced bowling attack makes them a tough challenge for the home side.

Australia, however, will look to leverage their experience and firepower, aiming to exploit any lapses and reverse the T20I defeat. Healy’s leadership and the likes of Perry, Gardner, Mooney, and King will be key to putting pressure on the Indian batting line-up.

The ODI series begins in Brisbane, followed by matches in Hobart on February 27 and March 1. Points from the series count toward the multi-format trophy , with two points for a T20 or 50-over win and four points for a Test victory. India currently lead 4-2 after the T20I leg.

Squads:

India:

Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Renuka Thakur, Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Kashvee Gautam, Harleen Deol, Pratika Rawal.

Australia:

Alyssa Healy (c), Sophie Molineux (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.