India and Australia will renew their rivalry ahead of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 with the first of a three match One-Day International series starting on Sunday at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in Mullanpur.

The last time the two sides met in an ODI series was in December 2024 when the Women in Blue had travelled to Down Under for a three-match series.

The Australians blazed to a 3-0 whitewash with Georgia Voll emerging as the highest run-scorer (173) and Megan Schutt taking the most wickets (8) across the three matches. Annabel Sutherland was adjudged the Player of the Series.

In the first ODI, the Indian women were skittled out for a paltry 100 within 34.2 overs, with Schutt taking a five-for. Despite Renuka Singh Thakur’s three wickets and Priya Mishra’s two scalps providing some resistance for India, the host chased down the target within 16.2 overs.

Australia then took an unassailable lead in the series after winning the second match by a 122-run margin. Ellyse Perry and Voll notched up centuries to take the host to 371. India was bundled out for 249 — Richa Ghosh was the only player to score a half-century — with Annabel Sutherland picking up four wickets.

The host then completed the whitewash with a 83-run win. It rode on Sutherland’s 95-ball 110 and fifties from Ashleigh Gardner and Tahlia McGrath to set a target of 299 as Arundhati Reddy picked four wickets. India was once again bowled out for 215 in 45.1 overs with opener Smriti Mandhana doing the heavy lifting with a century at the top of the order.

Published on Sep 14, 2025