BRISBANE – India’s women’s cricket team suffered a disappointing six-wicket defeat in the opening ODI against Australia at Allan Border Field. Chasing a modest target of 215, the hosts cruised to victory in just 38.2 overs, losing only four wickets.
Acting captain Smriti Mandhana, who stepped in for the injured Harmanpreet Kaur, pointed fingers at the batting unit’s poor showing and an unexpected pitch behavior. ‘We lost two quick wickets early on, which made things tough,’ Mandhana reflected post-match. ‘We tried to fight back, but the wicket wasn’t as we anticipated.’
Harmanpreet Kaur, the regular skipper, hurt her left knee while batting and missed the second innings. Mandhana hasn’t checked on her yet but remains optimistic about a swift recovery.
Despite the loss, Mandhana dismissed talks of changes to the playing XI for the next game. ‘We’re playing good cricket overall. One defeat won’t prompt alterations,’ she asserted.
India, batting first after winning the toss, folded for 214. Mandhana top-scored with 58, Harmanpreet contributed 53 off 84 balls, Kashvee Gautam made 43, and Richa Ghosh added 23.
Australia’s chase was dominated by Beth Mooney’s explosive 76 off 79 balls and Alyssa Healy’s composed 50 off 70. The result puts pressure on India ahead of the series decider.
Mandhana stressed the need for the batting lineup to gel better against Australia’s bowlers. ‘As a unit, we must post competitive totals together,’ she noted, signaling areas for improvement in the crucial series.