EIGHTEEN years and 206 days. It was a long wait. One in which cricket careers started and ended. India finally broke the duck by winning a home ODI against Australia for the first time since 2007. The 102-run margin may seem big, but it was not easy coming.

It took a spirited bowling show from India following Smriti Mandhana’s splendid century to draw level in the three-match series. Riding on Mandhana’s 12th ODI century, India posted 292, a total that seemed lower than what they should have got.

In response, India’s seamers first stifled the top order and then the spinners squeezed the middle order to hand Australia their biggest ODI defeat. All this after being thrashed in the opening match at the same venue.

Australia wanted to “get out in the heat and acclimatise” and inserted India in what was a flat track. But India’s innings was all Mandhana or bust. She hit a six on her eighth ball, came on top of an unfavourable matchup in Ashleigh Gardner and made full use of the first powerplay to race away to a 45-ball fifty. With India a batter short after Jemimah Rodrigues was ruled out of the series with viral fever, Mandhana never let the tempo down.

With Shafali Verma no longer part of ODI plans, Mandhana has transitioned into being an aggressor and got to her century in just 77 balls, the second-quickest for India. Only Meg Lanning (15) and Suzie Bates (13) have more centuries than Mandhana.

But it was a struggle for the other India batters. Pratika Rawal couldn’t find a way around Australia’s tactics and 20 off her 32 balls were dots. Harleen Deol, too, couldn’t score a run on 17 of her first 19 balls. Deepti Sharma made 40 off 53 balls but could hit just two fours. Darcie Brown picked up three wickets, having found her rhythm towards the end of the innings.

Australia had their task cut out – they had to achieve their highest successful chase in ODIs. In front of them was the returning Renuka Singh, playing her first international following her stress injury last year. It took only six balls for her to strike, Georgia Voll – who replaced Phoebe Litchfield, rested for a minor quad strain – bagging a five-ball duck in her first international match in India. Soon, Kranti Goud dismissed Alyssa Healy for the second time in two games. At the first powerplay, Australia were 25 for 2, their lowest 10-over powerplay total since the 2017 World Cup.

Ellyse Perry kept Australia on track with Beth Mooney first and Annabel Sutherland later. It was a phase where India dropped a few catches: Richa Ghosh failing to hold on to a very tough leg-side chance with Perry attempting a paddle, Deol failing to hang onto a Mooney miscue after running in from long-off and Radha dropping Sutherland off her own bowling.
Perry and Mooney added 50 in 73 balls before Perry and Sutherland joined together for a 46-run stand that just took 45 balls.

Between all that, India got a minor scare with Renuka walking off, clutching her left calf. She bowled a spell of six straight overs at the start of the chase and then was brought back after a five-over break. While Renuka came back on a few overs later, she did not bowl anymore.

It was Sneh Rana first who deceived Mooney with a wider line – with Arundhati Reddy, in for Rodrigues, taking a running catch – and then Radha who dealt a big blow with Perry’s caught and bowled. When Reddy snapped Sutherland’s aggressive run, India sensed a win, which was duly sealed with Deepti’s two wickets in two overs. (Cricinfo)