Brisbane’s Gabba ground sets the stage for an electrifying start to the India Women vs Australia Women ODI series on Tuesday. Following their triumphant 2-1 victory in the preceding T20I series, the Indian team, led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, won the crucial toss and elected to bat first.
Harmanpreet Kaur, exuding confidence after the T20I success, stated, ‘Batting first is the ideal choice today. We’ve assessed the conditions, and our team unanimously agreed this is the best strategy.’ This bold decision comes at a venue where chasing teams have historically edged ahead, winning 12 out of 22 ODIs played here, compared to 10 victories for teams batting first. The average first innings score at Gabba stands at 212.
India’s tour Down Under has been remarkable so far. They clinched the T20I series with standout performances: a 21-run win via DLS in the opener, a narrow 19-run loss in the second, and a decisive 17-run triumph in the decider. Now, eyes are on Harmanpreet to script history by conquering the ODIs as well.
Head-to-head records underscore Australia’s dominance, with 49 wins from 61 encounters against India’s 12. Yet, momentum swings favor the visitors. Playing XI for India features Smriti Mandhana opening alongside Pratika Rao, with Shefali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Sree Charani, Kranti Gaud, and Renuka Singh Thakur rounding out the side.
Australia counters with Alyssa Healy (c), Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll, Beth Mooney (wk), Annabel Sutherland, Ashley Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Alana King, Megan Schutt, and Darcie Brown. As the first ball is bowled, fans worldwide anticipate a fierce battle under Brisbane skies, with India aiming to challenge Australia’s stronghold.