Brisbane: India put up an ordinary performance with the bat and were bowled out for 214 in the first women’s ODI against Australia, despite solid fifties from Smriti Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet Kaur Tuesday.
Spinner Ashleigh Gardner was the standout bowler for the home team, returning figures of three for 33 in seven overs.
With Kim Garth and Ellyse Perry out of the three-match series due to quad injuries, pacers Megan Schutt and Lucy Hamilton was called up to the side in the 11th hour.
Megan took just two balls to strike, trapping Pratika Rawal in front with a sharp inswinger in the first over of the match. It was Rawal’s national comeback from the ankle injury she suffered during India’s triumphant campaign at the ODI World Cup at home last year.
Batting at number three for the first time, Shafali Verma did not get any rhythm in her short stay in the middle. She eventually offered a straight catch back to Darcie Brown.
Mandhana (58 off 68) began with a string of streak boundaries past the slip cordon before producing a series of exquisite drives off the pace bowlers.
The spinners maintained the pressure in the middle overs as Gardner had Jemimah Rodrigues caught behind with a full ball that straightened a fraction to take the outside edge.
After Mandhana and Deepti Sharma fell to the sweep shot, Harmanpreet (53 off 84) played time to stabilise the innings. She too, however, fell to the sweep shot in the deep off Gardner.
Kashvee Gautam (43 off 44) took the total past 200 and impressed with her six-hitting ability in an otherwise disappointing batting performance from the visitors. She hit three sixes in total including a straight one over long-on off Megan.
