New Delhi. The Indian women’s team, which went on Australia tour, showed tremendous performance and won the T20 series. Now it is the turn of ODI matches. The first match of this three-match ODI series will be played on 24 February at Gabba, Brisbane. The Indian team is ready to face Australia for the first time after playing the semi-finals in last year’s ODI World Cup. This series is also special because Australia’s legendary player Alyssa Healy will retire from the ODI format after this. The return of Pratika Raval, who is out of the team after getting injured during the ODI World Cup, is considered certain in the first match.
Healy has returned after being out of the T20 series. India won the T20 series 2-1, which was their first win in this format in Australia in the last ten years. Star leg spinner Alanna King has also returned to the ODI and Test team. For India, Kashvi Gautam, Harleen Deol and Pratika Rawal have come in place of Arundhati Reddy, Bharti Phulmali and Shreyanka Patil. Pratika was later included in the ODI team after recovering from an ankle injury. It is almost certain that he will be included in the playing-11.
Indian women’s cricket team.
Explosive performance expected from Mandhana
Team India’s star opener Smriti Mandhana scored 82 runs in the third T20 and she would like to continue her form. Mandhana said before the start of the ODI series, ‘It is special to beat Australia in Australia. We want to dominate world cricket, so it doesn’t matter who we beat or where we beat. We just have to win continuously and stay on top. Jemimah Rodrigues, who scored 127 runs in the five-wicket win over Australia in the ODI World Cup, is also in good form, having scored 59 runs in the third T20.
These players will also be monitored
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur did not get a chance to bat in the first T20, but she scored 36 runs in the second and two unbeaten runs in the third. Renuka Thakur and Sricharani have performed well in bowling. Deepti Sharma will be expected to return to form. There is no dearth of match-winning players in the Australian team. They will try to make a comeback by taking inspiration from Elise Perry, Ashley Gardner, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Healy and King.
India’s playing-11 could be like this
Smriti Mandhana, Shefali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicketkeeper), Amanjot Kaur, Kranti Gaur, Shri Charani, Renuka Singh.
Australia’s probable playing-11
Phoebe Lichfield, Alyssa Healy (c), Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney (wk), Annabel Sutherland, Ashley Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Alana King, Georgia Wareham, Darcy Brown.