In their three-match ODI series against India in Mumbai on Saturday, Australia Women secured an exciting three-run victory to take an unassailable 2-0 lead. Richa Ghosh’s career-best 96 and Deepti Sharma’s 5/38 were in vain. Ghosh guided India’s response, which was chasing 259, with a magnificent 117-ball 96 that included 13 fours, but the hosts faltered in the last overs to lose to Australia at home for the eleventh time in a row. When the match ended, India had amassed 255/8 in their 50 overs, with Deepti (24 not out from 36 balls, 1x4s) and Shreyanka Patil (5 not out) at the crease.
In addition to Ghosh’s outstanding performance at the bat, vice captain of India Smriti Mandhana set the tone early with a 38-ball 34 (3x4s, 1x6s).
Ghosh and Jemimah Rodrigues (44 off 55 balls) set the tone with an 88-run third wicket stand, but they were unable to stop Australia from extending their series winning streak in India.
Later, with Ghosh only one stroke away from reaching her maiden ton, Litchfield denied her the achievement and, consequently, an India victory with yet another spectacular grab at cover from Annabel Sutherland (3/47).
Additionally, Ghosh took advantage of two lifelines. The first came on the first delivery itself when Litchfield dropped a difficult chance at first slip shortly after Yastika Bhatia (19) was out.
With her collaboration with Rodrigues, Ghosh kept India competitive, but Australia took advantage of a breakthrough to make a big profit. When Ghosh, who was experiencing cramps in the latter part of her innings, fell in the 44th over and Amanjot Kaur (4) in the 46th, India’s chances were severely damaged.
Deepti’s failure to move on—she had made just eight runs in her 47-run partnership with Ghosh—made it even harder for players like Pooja Vastrakar (8) and Harleen Deol (1), who had come on as a replacement for Sneh Rana during the second half of the match due to a concussion.
Deepti skillfully utilized a dry and shifting surface to return with figures of five for 38, but the hosts’ terrible fielding undid all of her hard work.
For her second career five-for, she scored against Ellyse Perry (50), Beth Mooney (10), Tahlia McGrath (24), Georgia Wareham (22) and Annabel Sutherland (23).
Up until the 22nd over, when Perry and Litchfield combined for 77 runs for the second wicket (63 off 98 balls and 6 fours), Australia appeared to be in total control.
