Star batter Smriti Mandhana admitted that Australia outplayed India as the tourists suffered a 0-3 loss in the three-match ODI series Down Under. While recent India-Australia encounters in the shorter formats have been closely contested, with India securing a few victories, this series was a stark contrast. Australia dominated throughout, with India only showing brief moments of resistance.
The dramatic collapse in the third ODI—where India crumbled from a comfortable 165/2 to being bowled out for 215—served as a fitting summary of the tourists’ struggles across the series. “It is tough to take because we came here after winning the New Zealand series, and it really felt like the team was looking good but we definitely got outplayed by Australia,” Mandhana said at the post-match press conference, accompanied by teammate Arundhati Reddy.
“Especially in the second and third ODIs. There were days when our bowling clicked and then when our batting clicked, but we didn’t click as a team. There are a lot of learnings to take, and hopefully, we will work on them.”
While Australia’s relentless pressure left little room for India to recover, the Indian team’s fielding came under particular scrutiny. In the second and third ODIs, crucial missed chances and inconsistent catching allowed Australia to recover from tricky positions. One of the most notable instances was during the second ODI in Perth, where India let Australia bounce back from 78/4 to a daunting total of 298.
Australia vs India, 3rd Women’s ODI Highlights
Mandhana, however, maintained a positive outlook on the team’s fielding development. “Fielding is an aspect that’s a work in progress for us in the last one-and-a-half to two years. We’ve improved a lot during this time, but we are not a finished product yet,” she reflected. “We need to put in the hard yards day in and day out to get the team sorted with respect to fielding. It’s good that we all want to learn from our mistakes. We will take it in our stride and try to rectify it.”
On a brighter note, Arundhati Reddy’s exceptional spell of seam bowling was a highlight of the final ODI. The medium-pacer, playing her first game of the series, took 4 wickets for 26 runs, playing a crucial role in reducing Australia to 78/4 during their chase. Though a five-wicket haul eluded her due to an unsuccessful review, Reddy was philosophical about her performance.
“I was trying too hard to get the fifer, I think. Unlucky, but the review didn’t go our way. It would have been better if the team won. Wickets only matter if the team wins. Unfortunately, we couldn’t,” said Reddy. “It gives me a lot of confidence. I always look forward to playing against Australia. One of the best teams in the world. I always want to do well against them.”
India’s strategy in the final two ODIs raised eyebrows, particularly the decision to open with Richa Ghosh. Known for her explosive batting in the middle overs, Ghosh was asked to tackle the new ball in the final games, a move made more out of necessity after Priya Punia’s injury. Mandhana, when asked whether Ghosh would continue to open in the future, chose not to reveal any long-term plans.
“That’s a call that will be taken once we get back home,” Mandhana explained. “It was an unfortunate injury to Priya Punia, and we were chasing 371. Richa is our most attacking batter, and if she gets going, she can take the game away from any team. So, that was the plan last game. We will review this situation going forward.”
Despite the whitewash, Mandhana emphasized the team’s belief in their abilities, noting that the Indian squad always believed in their chances. “We don’t doubt that we can compete, there’s no point in playing the game if we don’t have the belief. It’s not that the belief only came today. We had them at five down in the first game while chasing 100, so the belief was always there,” Mandhana said.
