Mandhana’s Historic Knock and Rawal’s Debut Brilliance Set 330-Run Challenge for Australia

India Women delivered a batting spectacle in Match 13 of the ICC Women’s World Cup at Visakhapatnam’s Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, posting a formidable 330 all out in 48.5 overs against a formidable Australian side. Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain, led the charge with a breathtaking 80 off 66 balls, rewriting record books by becoming the first woman to score 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year and securing the most 50-plus scores by an Indian against Australia. Alongside her, debutant Pratika Rawal played a mature knock of 75 off 96 balls, forging a 155-run opening stand—the highest against Australia in World Cup history. Despite a late collapse, India’s total, their first 300-plus against Australia, sets a daunting challenge for Alyssa Healy’s team in this pivotal group-stage clash.

Mandhana’s innings was a masterclass in controlled aggression, blending elegant drives with audacious power-hitting. She smashed nine boundaries and three sixes, including a memorable 4-6-4 sequence against Sophie Molineux and a towering six off Kim Garth to mark her fifty. Her milestone as the fastest to 5,000 ODI runs in 112 innings underscored her dominance, while her record-breaking 1,000 runs in 2025 cemented her as a global batting titan. Rawal, playing her maiden World Cup match, complemented Mandhana’s flair with disciplined shot-making, notching 10 fours and a six. Their partnership dismantled Australia’s vaunted attack, exploiting early fielding lapses, including a no-ball six off Ellyse Perry and five bonus runs from a ball striking Healy’s helmet, to race to 111/0 by the 20th over. Rawal’s fifty, brought up with a lofted drive, signaled her arrival as a future star.

The Indian innings, however, hit turbulence in the death overs, collapsing from 294/4 to 330 all out as Australia’s Annabel Sutherland engineered a dramatic turnaround. Sutherland’s career-best 5/40 in 9.5 overs, featuring pinpoint yorkers and cunning slower balls, accounted for key wickets, including Rawal (caught at fine leg) and Richa Ghosh (33 off 28). Harmanpreet Kaur’s duck and a rapid loss of six wickets for 36 runs exposed India’s middle-order fragility, with Jemimah Rodrigues (33) and Deepti Sharma (20) unable to sustain the momentum. Despite contributions from Harleen Deol (28) and a brisk 54-run sixth-wicket stand, Sutherland’s spell ensured India fell short of a potentially record-shattering total, leaving the Visakhapatnam crowd stunned after the early dominance.

Also Read: India Women Dominate Australia in ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup

Australia’s decision to bowl first, banking on dew to aid their chase, now faces scrutiny as they confront a target that demands their deepest batting reserves. The pitch, offering early bounce and later turn, tested Australia’s bowlers, with Megan Schutt (0/55) and Ashleigh Gardner (1/62) proving expensive, while Tahlia McGrath’s tidy 0/21 offered some control. India’s performance, following a recent loss to South Africa, reflects growing depth, with Rawal’s emergence complementing stalwarts like Deepti and Sneh Rana. Post-match, Rawal credited Mandhana’s mentorship, saying, “Watching her from the non-striker’s end inspires me to keep going.” The stage is set for a thrilling chase, with Australia’s lineup, featuring Beth Mooney and Perry, needing to counter India’s spin-heavy attack led by Deepti and Rana under floodlights.

This clash carries immense weight in the World Cup’s group stage, with India aiming to upset the unbeaten Australians and bolster their semi-final prospects. The 330-run target, though tempered by the late collapse, marks a psychological milestone, surpassing India’s previous best of 283 against Australia in 2017. As Healy’s team prepares to respond, the spotlight is on openers Phoebe Litchfield and Healy to navigate early pressure from Arundhati Reddy and Renuka Thakur. With Sutherland’s five-for providing momentum, Australia’s chase will test their championship pedigree against an Indian side brimming with confidence and home support. This Visakhapatnam thriller promises to be a defining chapter in the 2025 World Cup saga.

Also Read: India’s ODI Squad to Leave in Two Batches for Australia on October 15