India vs Australia, 3rd Women's ODI Highlights: Smriti Mandhana's Record Ton In Vain As India Lose By 43 Runs

Right then, that’s it from this record-breaking run-fest, where Australia Women wrap up the series win against the hosts and head into the World Cup brimming with confidence. The trophy has been presented to the Aussie skipper Alyssa Healy, who lifts it alongside her teammates as they celebrate in front of the ‘Winners’ banner. Both sides will now turn their focus to the big stage, with the ICC Women’s World Cup starting on 30th September, though they will feature in a few warm-up matches beforehand. We hope you enjoyed our coverage of this series. Join us again for the World Cup action - until then, it’s goodbye, and take care!

Alyssa Healy, the victorious skipper of Australia Women, says that it was one of the flattest wicket she had played. Adds that she got some advice before the game, it could be 400 for both sides, which almost happened. Mentions that it was a great game of cricket and they got the result they wanted. Tells that they had to play it like a T20 for the 20 overs and squeeze the boundaries as much as they can. If they could do that and apply pressure, they could break through the middle order and thankfully, that was the case. Says that it was not easy for the bowlers, but she is proud of her girls for hanging on. Further adds that most of the players have got an opportunity in this series, and they are in a good place adapting to the conditions before heading to the World Cup. Ends by saying that you cannot defend a World Cup, you have to beat every team in the world and hopes that they can take this momentum into the big event.

Smriti Mandhana is the PLAYER OF THE SERIES for scoring 300 runs, including two brilliant tons. She says that when you are chasing 400, there is not much to think about and just react to the ball. Adds that the wicket was good and the outfield fast, so she attacked anything that was in her slot. Mentions that she would have been happy if they had won that, but it was still a great game of cricket. Ends by saying that she just tries to stick to her routines and keeps things simple.

Beth Mooney is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for her fantastic hundred. She says that it looked like a good wicket, and they got off to a fine start, and she wanted to continue the momentum. Adds that their plan was to just build up a partnership and pick off the bowlers, but as the game went on, the total kept getting bigger and bigger. Mentions that they were targeting 450 at one point, but slowed down a bit and did well to hang around and bowled well too. Says that it is important to contribute to the team and play in these conditions before the World Cup to get adjusted to them. Hopes that the wickets are not as flat as this one, where it feels like playing a T20 for 100 overs. Ends by saying that now they can enjoy a few rest days before getting back in action.

Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of India Women, says that they have played good cricket in this series and there are a lot of positives. Adds that the way Deepti and Rana batted shows their depth in batting. Tells that they have bowled well in partnerships, but fielding is an area of concern, and they are trying to improve on it. Mentions that they have a lot of options, and they can try different combinations, as the World Cup is a long tournament. Ends by saying that they are very excited for the World Cup and hope to do well there.

Presentation Time...

Kim Garth of Australia Women is up for a quick chat. She says it was a great game of cricket, and she credits her team for sticking to the plans. Adds that they had to get their T20 plans out early, and execution was key here. Says that Mandhana is in great form and it is difficult to bowl to her, but Harries got the all-important wicket for them. Ends by hoping that the wickets in the World Cup won't be as flat as this one.

Australia Women will be pleased with the win, though they might have hoped for a more commanding performance given their massive total. The pitch offered little help to the bowlers, but sharp fielding made a noticeable difference between the sides. There were moments when Alyssa Healy faced pressure, yet she managed her bowlers well, staying calm and capitalizing on the opportunities that came their way. Kim Garth claimed three wickets, Megan Schutt took two, and the rest of the attack contributed effectively to secure both the match and the series.

Earlier in the game, after opting to bat first, Australia went on an all-out assault. Beth Mooney was the star of the show with a breathtaking 138, while Georgia Voll and Ellyse Perry struck fluent half-centuries to drive the visitors to their joint-highest WODI total. India had very little to take away from their bowling display as they were taken apart for over 400 runs, and some sloppy fielding only made matters worse. Still, Arundhati Reddy managed to grab three wickets, with Renuka Singh Thakur and Deepti Sharma chipping in with two apiece, while Kranti Gaud and Sneh Rana picked up one each. They did manage to pull things back a touch at the back end, otherwise, the total could have been even more daunting.

Just when things looked firmly in India’s grasp, a brief pause for Harmanpreet Kaur’s knee treatment completely shifted the game. She fell on the very next ball, and in the following over, Mandhana departed on 125 off a full toss. To make matters worse, Richa Ghosh was run out soon after, and in no time, India had slipped from 206/2 to 231/5, suddenly under pressure. As she so often does, Deepti Sharma rose to the occasion - blending caution with aggression and guiding the chase smartly with the lower order. She reached a well-made fifty, with Sneh Rana’s support keeping hopes alive, but the extra wicket lost in the middle stages proved costly. Once Deepti was dismissed, the writing was on the wall, and India eventually went down by 43 runs.