Reigning world champions India will look for a stronger batting performance in the second women’s ODI against Australia on Friday as they aim to keep the three-match series alive. After being outplayed in the opener, the visitors face a must-win situation to avoid conceding the series early against a dominant Australian side.
India entered the ODI leg on the back of a 2-1 T20I series win but stumbled in the first 50-over match in Brisbane, going down by six wickets. The defeat continued a long-standing trend, with Australia having won all 11 bilateral women’s ODI series between the two teams, including a 3-0 sweep in late 2024 and a 2-1 victory in September 2025.
In the opening match, India were bowled out for a modest 214 after failing to build sustained partnerships. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (58), skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (53) and Kashvee Gautam (43) were the only batters to make meaningful contributions. The rest of the lineup, including Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma, failed to convert their starts, leaving the team short of a competitive total.
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India will be hoping for a collective improvement from the struggling middle order, while wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh is expected to provide late acceleration. On the bowling front, left-arm spinner Shree Charani impressed with figures of 2/41, but the team will need stronger support from Deepti and the pace duo of Renuka Singh and Kranti Gaud, who were unable to make early breakthroughs in the series opener.
Deepti Sharma struck an optimistic note ahead of the match, saying the team remains focused on its strengths despite the setback. The Indian think tank may also consider changes to the playing XI, with all-rounders Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana among the options if the management opts to tweak the balance.
Australia, meanwhile, will be confident of sealing the series and giving captain Alyssa Healy a fitting result. Healy’s fifty in the first ODI, along with strong contributions from Beth Mooney and Annabel Sutherland, powered the hosts to a comfortable chase. With their bowling unit also firing collectively, the Australians will start firm favourites as they look to maintain their long-standing dominance in the format.
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