18-year-old fast bowler Darcie Brown helped Aussie Women restrict India Women to 225/8, followed by a dominant batting performance from the top order to win the first ODI by nine wickets at Harrup Park.
Brown has been adjudged the ‘Player of the match’ for a sensational performance of four wickets for 33 in only her second One-Day International. Australia’s top order of Alyssa Healy, Rachel Haynes and Meg Lanning scored fifties to chase the total down with ease.
As it happened, Australia won the toss and elected to field first. India got off to a flying start, scoring 30 runs from the first three overs thanks to wayward Ellyse Perry. But Darcie Brown pegged India back in her next two overs as she removed both the openers – Shafali Verma (8) and Smriti Mandhana (16).
The debutant Yastika Bhatia and captain Mithali Raj joined hands to rebuild the innings. The duo stitched together a 77-run partnership for the third wicket to take India Women to 115 in 26 overs.
But Brown rocked the visitors yet again in her second spell with the scalps of Bhatia (35) and Deepti Sharma (9). Pooja Vastrakar and Mithali added 37 runs for the fifth wicket but the skipper fell just when India needed to accelerate.
Raj tried to go big off a Sophie Molineux delivery but missed it completely as Alyssa Healy did the rest to stump her on excellent 61 off 107. India’s scoreboard read 166/5 in 37.4 overs.
Hannah Darlington, on her debut, bowled beautifully as she removed Vastrakar (17) and Sneh Rana (2) in consecutive overs to reduce India Women 178/7. Richa Ghosh scored a quickfire 32 off 29, and Jhulan Goswami contributed with 20 off 24 down the order as they added 45 runs for the eighth wicket to take India to a fighting total of 225/8. Brown was the pick of the bowlers for Australia with 4/33 in nine overs.
Australia, in response, started cautiously but soon upped their tempo. The opening duo of Healy and Rachel Haynes got on top of the Indian bowlers as they put on a century stand. Healy played a spectacular knock of 77 off 77 balls that included eight fours and two sixes.
Australia's openers Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes both crossed 2000 ODI today 👏 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/m9l4aEZJl2
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) September 21, 2021
She became the only woman in cricket history to score 2000 runs in the ODI format at a career strike rate of 100+. On the next delivery, she was dismissed trying to smash Poonam Yadav over mid-off for a second consecutive six when the scoreboard read 126 in 21.2 overs.
Haynes, who was playing a support act until that point, changed the gears and brought up her fifty. She became the 10th Australian woman to reach the 2000-run mark in the 50-over format. Captain Lanning scored an effortless fifty on the other end as the duo put on an unbroken 101-run stand to mow down the target in just 41 overs. Haynes finished with 93* off 100 while Lanning scored 53* off 69.
Brief Scores
India Women – 225/8 in 50 overs (Raj 63, Bhatia 35; Brown 4/33, Darlington 2/29)
Australia Women – 227/1 in 41 overs (Haynes 93*, Healy 77, Lanning 53*; Yadav 1/58) won by 9 wickets.
