Australia sound World Cup warning with India demolition

Australia have made a serious statement ahead of the upcoming ODI World Cup, thrashing India by eight wickets in Chandigarh to pull off the fourth-highest run chase in the history of women's 50-over internationals.

Set an imposing 282 for victory at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium – the Punjab venue hosting its first international game – Australia, led by Phoebe Litchfield (88 from 80), Beth Mooney (77no off 74) and Annabel Sutherland (52no off 50), made light work of the chase, reeling it in with 35 balls to spare.

The broiling humidity proved the biggest threat to the tourists – even forcing the indominable Ellyse Perry to retire hurt on 30 – as they sent a message in their clinical demolition of the world's second-best team on their home turf, despite not having played an ODI since the Ashes in early January.

Opener Litchfield, fresh off a dominant campaign in The Hundred where she topped the runs table with her unconventional stroke play, swiftly switched back into 50-over mode.

The 22-year-old was handed lives on nought and 56 when first Jemimah Rodrigues and then Harmanpreet Kaur put down simple chances, and was the more subdued partner early while fellow opener Alyssa Healy (27 off 23) played aggressor.

After the Australian captain chopped on quick Kranti Goud in the seventh over, Litchfield took control as she was joined by Perry, bringing up her half-century from 44 deliveries.

Perry too made a solid start, hitting left-arm spinner Radha Yadav down the ground for six, before she was struck down with calf cramping at the end of the 17th over. Twice she called out the team physio as she valiantly attempted to play on, but the 34-year-old conceded defeat three overs later, retiring on 30.

Litchfield's hopes of a third one-day century were dashed when she mistimed a reverse sweep off-spinner Sneh Rana on 88.

Australia nonetheless remained in a comfortable position at 2-166 after 26.5 overs – realistically three down, given Perry's departure – needing 116 from 139 deliveries, and Mooney and Sutherland carried on the attack.

India's decision to select four spinners and just one quick was increasingly proved a questionable call as the hosts' attack failed to trouble the Australians, who feasted on the slower bowlers.

Mooney's half-century came from just 45 balls, then Sutherland's from 47, as they charged home in the 45th over.

Earlier, Smriti Mandhana (58 off 63) and Pratika Rawal (64 off 96) led the way as India posted 7-281, their joint-second-highest ODI total against Australia.

Harmanpreet won the toss and opted to send the Australians into the field under the baking Punjab afternoon sun.

The Australian squad had been put through heat preparation protocols to ready themselves for the challenging conditions, but for many coming out of the southern winter – or for those recently in The Hundred, an English summer – it was a baptism of fire.

With the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium hosting an international match for the first time, the sort of pitch that would be produced was something of a mystery leading into the game, but it quickly became clear it was a deck for the batters, as India's openers got to work.

Megan Schutt was celebrated as just the ninth Australian woman to play 100 ODIs during the warm-up, but the masterful new-ball bowler could not conjure a breakthrough, with Mandhana and Rawal scarcely offering a half-chance as they compiled a new record opening stand for India against Australia.

The end of their 114-run partnership in the 22nd over was a largely of their own making – Mandhana drove hard to extra cover and charged off for a quick single, only for Rawal to remain stationary at the non-striker's end.

An athletic Litchfield meanwhile had intercepted the ball and despite a fumble, threw down the stumps with the India vice-captain still halfway down the pitch.

A lapse in concentration following the second drinks break was the undoing of Rawal, as she looked to take on Alana King but only managed to pick out Perry at deep mid-wicket.

At 2-142 with 18.4 overs remaining, a total above 300 was still well in reach, but other than Harleen Deol (54 from 57), no India batter was able to get on top of the Australian attack for any significant period.

Harmanpreet smacked Sutherland over the rope but was trapped lbw by the Victorian allrounder two deliveries later, and Rodrigues laboured in her 26-ball 18.

The dangerous Richa Ghosh, handed a life when she was caught off a Tahlia McGrath no-ball – and then hit the subsequent free hit, also a no-ball, for six – perished in the same over, gone for 25 off 20, before a late push from Deepti Sharma (20no from 16) and Radha Yadav 19 off 14) was enough to lift the total above 280.

Schutt finished with 2-45 from seven overs in her milestone match, while King (1-28) was economical.

The second ODI will be played at the same venue on Wednesday before the action heads to Delhi for the series finale.

Australia XI: Alyssa Healy (c) (wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt

India XI: Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Radha Yadav, Kranti Goud

Qantas ODI tour of India 2025

September 14: First ODI: Australia won by eight wickets

September 17: Second ODI, Mullanpur Cricket Stadium, 6pm AEST

September 20: Third ODI, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, 6pm AEST

India squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Richa Ghosh (wk), Kranti Gaud, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Sneh Rana

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Nicole Faltum, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Charli Knott, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

2025 Women's ODI World Cup

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

Australia's warm-up match

September 28: v England, Bengaluru, Bengaluru, 7:30pm AEST

Australia's group stage matches

October 1: v New Zealand, Holkar Stadium, Indore, 7:30pm AEST

October 4: v Sri Lanka, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 7:30pm AEST

October 8: v Pakistan, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 8:30pm AEDT

October 12: v India, ACA-VDCA Stadium Visakhapatnam, 8:30pm AEDT

October 16: v Bangladesh, ACA-VDCA Stadium Visakhapatnam, 8:30pm AEDT

October 22: v England, Holkar Stadium, Indore, 8:30pm AEDT

October 25: v South Africa, Holkar Stadium, Indore, 8:30pm AEDT

Finals

Semi-final 1: Guwahati or Colombo*, October 29, 8:30pm AEDT

Semi-final 2: Mumbai, October 30, 8:30pm AEDT

Final: Mumbai or Colombo*, November 2, 8:30pm AEDT

All World Cup matches to be broadcast exclusively live and free on Amazon's Prime Video. A free trial is available here.

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