Australia whitewash India, wins Hockey series 5-0
However, despite the visitors’ determined efforts, Australia succeeded in preventing India from levelling the score, ultimately securing a thrilling 3-2 victory in the match.
The Indian women team, which are high on confidence after a successful South Africa tour, are playing there the first One-day International match of a three-match series against Australia at Reliance Stadium, Vadodara, today.
However, in the on-going match, Mithali Raj-less Indian squad collapsed at the score of 200 in their innings. After winning the toss, stand-in skipper Harmanpreet Kaur opted to bat and soon the decision backfired as Indian team lost half of their batters even before reaching the 100-run mark.
However, India’s lower batting order stabilizsed the innings but that was too late. Bowler Pooja Vastrakar along with wicket-keeper batswomen Sushma Verma put 76-run partnership for the eighth wicket.
Advertisement
Vastrakar scored maiden half-century of her ODI career and in her 51-run knock, she hit one six and seven boundaries.
Other than Vastrakar, Sushma Verma (41) and Punam Raut (37) were the only Indian batters who were able to stop Australia’s bowling attack.
Australian bowlers Jess Jonassen (4) and Amanda Wellington (3) shattered ‘strong’ Indian batting line up with their bowling and the duo took seven wickets between them. Meanwhile, Megan Schutt and Ashleigh Gardner took one wicket each.
Fall of wickets:
38-1 (Smriti Mandhana, 9.1), 45-2 (Jemimah Rodrigues, 11.3), 60-3 (Punam Raut, 17.2), 83-4 (Deepti Sharma, 22.3), 87-5 (Harmanpreet Kaur, 23.2), 110-6 (Veda Krishnamurthy, 30.3), 113-7 (Shikha Pandey, 31.4), 189-8 (Sushma Verma, 47.1), 199-9 (Pooja Vastrakar, 49.4), 200-10 (Poonam Yadav, 50)
Teams:
India’s Playing XI: Smriti Mandhana, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Veda Krishnamurthy, Deepti Sharma, Sushma Verma (wk), Shikha Pandey, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar, Poonam Yadav
Australia’s playing XI: Alyssa Healy (wk), Nicole Bolton, Meg Lanning (c), Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Rachael Haynes, Ashleigh Gardner, Nicola Carey, Jess Jonassen, Amanda Wellington, Megan Schutt
Advertisement
