Aussies suffer biggest ever ODI defeat as India star edges closer to game’s greats

Australia slumped to its biggest ever women’s ODI defeat in game two of the three match series against India as the hosts prevailed by 102 runs at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on Wednesday.

Smriti Mandhana’s 12th ODI century guided India to a total of 292, and Alyssa’s Healy’s side got nowhere near it, crumbling to 190 all out in response and their first ODI loss since January 2024.

The series-levelling victory was the first time India’s women have defeated Australia in a 50-over contest at home since 2007.

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Mandhana was the hero, scoring 117 from only 91 balls after Healy won the toss and elected to bowl.

No other batter passed fifty in the game, but Mandhana needed just 45 balls to reach that milestone before racing to a 77-ball century.

It was the second fastest ever hundred for India, and the 29-year-old’s latest milestone has her knocking on the doors of the game’s greats with only former Australian captain Meg Lanning (15) and New Zealand legend Suzie Bates (13) boasting more ODI centuries.

Mandhana has risen up the rankings in blistering fashion as this was her seventh century since the last World Cup three years ago.

With Jemimah Rodrigues ruled out for the series with illness and Shafali Verma discarded from the side, there is even more responsibility on Mandhana’s shoulders at present and she is handling it by being even more aggressive, smashing 14 fours and four sixes in her scintillating knock.

Leg spinner Georgia Wareham (0/41) bore the brunt of the left hander’s wrath with her first two overs conceding 29 runs, and as a result Healy held back fellow leg spinner Alana King (0/26) until Mandhana had been dismissed by Tahlia McGrath (1/20).

Quick Darcie Brown did the most damage for the Australians, taking 3/42 from her eight overs, while Ashleigh Gardner’s off spin was effective, claiming 2/39 from ten overs.

Australia were unable to find the right answers across the board, however, with Healy calling upon eight bowlers as India set the visitors what would have been a record run chase.

Australia got off to a nightmare start, mustering only 25 runs from the powerplay, their lowest ten over start to an innings since the 2017 World Cup.

Ellyse Perry (44) and Annabelle Sutherland (45) threatened to take the game away from the hosts with Perry combining with Beth Mooney (18) for a 50-run partnership following the early losses of Georgia Voll (0) and Healy (9).

Perry and Sutherland then put on 46 before the former was caught and bowled by left arm spinner Radha Yadav.

Australia was never able to mount a fightback from that point on with the final six wickets falling for 82 runs as the visitors were bowled out with 9.1 overs remaining in their innings.

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