Collective effort sees Australia cruise to 1-0 lead

Australia marched to a @L0$ eight-wicket victory in the final lap of their World Cup preparations against hosts India, in New Chandigarh on Sunday. Riding on the back of fifties from each of their top-three, India finished with 281 for 7 in their 50 overs after electing to bat first in the first ODI of the three-match series. Australia's successful chase revolved around Phoebe Litchfield's 88 at the top, followed by an unbroken 116-run stand between Beth Mooney (77) and Annabel Sutherland (54) that helped scale the target with 5.5 overs to spare. India's shoddy fielding and loose bowling didn't help their cause either.

A standout opening partnership laid the foundation, but middle-overs strife saw India fight hard to cross the 280 mark eventually that came courtesy of few late cameos. The Indian openers began in fluent style with Pratika Rawal playing the anchor while Smriti Mandhana assumed the role of the aggressor. In just 15 innings together, the duo registered their fifth century stand – the joint-most for the opening wicket for India in the format.

During the course of their 114-run stand – India's best against Australia now – the Mandhana-Rawal pair went past the 1200 partnership runs at a run-rate a touch above 6 – the best amongst 56 pairs till date. After batting at better than run-a-ball for the better part of her knock, Mandhana registered a 55-ball half-century – her fifth fifty plus knock in the calendar year – Georgia Wareham and Annabel Sutherland's miserly overs causing a slow-down in the middle overs. She tried to up the ante again with a six off Sutherland, but a cheeky single off the very next delivery cost Mandhana her wicket and gave Australia a lucky break.

The wicket, coupled with some tight bowling, saw India slip further in the scoring department – the run-rate dropping to 4.7 at one point with Harleen Deol taking her time to settle in. Wareham was replaced by the second leggie, Alana King, and she got the other set opener too while India were still rebuilding amidst a spin choke. Three overs later, Sutherland cut short skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's early fireworks in her 150th ODI by trapping her plumb in front for 11.

Deol picked up pace as death overs approached, catching upto run-a-ball strike-rate with a six straight down and a four next off King before registering a fifty in as many balls. Megan Schutt had her stumped soon after for her first wicket.

Tahlia McGrath came belated into the attack, in the 43rd over, and was taken apart by Richa Ghosh. The Australian vice-captain actually had Ghosh caught in the deep but she had overstepped. The free-hit yielded the six Ghosh intended earlier, and McGrath had overstepped yet again. The next free-hit was hit for a four. She did close out the expensive over with the wicket of Jemimah Rodrigues.

Radha Yadav (19 off 14) and Deepti Sharma (20 off 16) pushed hard in the final overs, their handy cameos eventually giving India 281 – the joint second-highest against Australia for India. However, after finishing with at least 30 short, India were sub-par in their run defence. The bowling lacked bite, the catching was poor and one too many misfields cost additional runs on the park.

Alyssa Healy, alongside Litchfield, was quick off the blocks in the chase and looked in good nick before dragging an inside edge back onto her stumps off Kranti Goud. The breakthrough following a 45-run opening stand helped India plug the flow of runs but only momentarily. Ellyse Perry joined Litchfield and together the pair ensured the asking rate never crept up.

Litchfield's brilliant 88 wasn't without assistance. She was yet to get off the mark when Rodrigues dropped her at short midwicket off Sneh Rana in the second over, and later just after a 44-ball fifty, Harmanpreet shelled one in covers off Radha. The left-arm spinner also created a chance against Perry, but Rawal dropped a catch in the deep to reprieve the veteran on 20. Perry though retired hurt soon after with a calf strain. Through their 79-run stand, the pair never allowed India's four-pronged spin attack to settle in or string uncomfortable amounts of dots.

Mooney replaced Perry in the middle and she forged a quick 46-run stand in 37 balls to keep up with the tempo. Just when Litchfield looked set for another hundred, India got a third-time lucky with sub Arundhati Reddy safely pouching one when the southpaw was on 88. Her most productive shot – the reverse-sweep – brought her three boundaries but also led to the downfall.

In four boundary-less overs that followed, Mooney and Sutherland settled in. They put on an unbroken 116-run partnership in just 106 balls to polish off the chase with 35 balls to spare, taking apart spin and pace with equal disdain. Mooney raced to a 45-ball fifty, and took Australia past the 250 mark in the 40th over. Sutherland quietly moved along at run-a-ball until her 40s, before raising a 47-ball half-century to put Australia on the cusp of an easy win. The middle-overs period was where the visitors edged ahead, scoring 196/1 as compared to India's 152/3 in the 30-over phase.

@B0$: India 281/7 in 50 overs (Pratika Rawal 64, Smriti Mandhana 58, Harleen Deol 54; Megan Schutt 2-45) lost to Australia 282/2 in 44.1 overs (Phoebe Litchfield 88, Beth Mooney 77*, Annabel Sutherland 54*) by 8 wickets