Australia women’s cricket team continued their unparalleled dominance with another series win against India on Wednesday. Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner powered Australia to a dominant 83-run win in the third match to whitewash the poor Indian side 3-0 in Perth.
Sutherland smashed a brilliant 110 off 95 balls and Gardner-McGrath hit fifties each to help the hosts post 298 for 6 while batting first. Smriti Mandhana registered her 9th ODI century to keep India alive in the chase but Gardner claimed 5 wickets to bowl out the visiting side to 215 at WACA Ground.
After heavy defeats in the first two matches, India brought in pace all-rounder Arundhati Reddy in their playing eleven. Pheobe Litchfield and Georgia Voll gave Australia another good start with a 50-run stand for the opening wicket but Reddy made a sensational impact to put India ahead in the game.
Reddy picked the first four wickets to bring down the hosts to 78 for 4 as Australia’s top-order stumbled. But Gardner and Sutherland then dominated the middle overs with an eventual match-defining 96-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Sutherland top-scored with 110 off 95 balls to celebrate her only second second ODI century. Sutherland and Tahlia McGrath also contributed with fifties each as Australia posted 298 total. Apart from Reddy’s four-fer, only Deepti Sharma managed to pick one wicket for India.
India also struggled for a positive start with young Richa Ghosh departing after scoring just two runs off Megan Schutt. Mandhana and Harleen Deol then added 118 runs for the second wicket and put India on track for a potential chase. Alana King gave the hosts a breakthrough with Harleen’s wicket in the 28th over but India kept themselves ahead with Mandhana scoring her 2nd ODI century against Australia.
