IND-W vs AUS-W: ODIs – 5 Indian players to watch out for
Last week, the Indian women’s cricket team managed to defeat mighty Australia by eight wickets in a one-off Test match in Mumbai. This was India’s first Test match win against the team from Down Under. They will now shift focus onto the three-match ODI series, which begins with the first encounter at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, December 28. In this article, we will take a look at five Indian players who could make an impact in the ODI series.
5) Deepti Sharma
Deepti’s excellent all-round abilities make her an indispensable member of the Indian team. She picked up the wickets of Alyssa Healy and Jess Jonassen in the first innings of the one-off Test against the tourists. When India were in a spot of bother in their first innings, leading by just 55 runs with three wickets in hand, the southpaw stood up with the bat as she scored 78 and helped the hosts take a decisive lead of 187 runs. Indian fans will hope that her purple patch continues in the limited-overs format as well.
4) Sneh Rana
The all-rounder bowled superbly during the one-off Test against the Aussies. She was named Player of the Match as she picked up three wickets in the first innings and four in the second against the Aussies. Rana subtly changes her pace and lines and always keeps the batters guessing. It will be interesting to see how skipper Harmanpreet Kaur uses her. In the middle overs, Rana can restrict the flow of runs and also pick up crucial wickets.
3) Harmanpreet Kaur
The Indian captain didn’t have a great outing with the bat as she was dismissed for a duck in the first innings and didn’t bat in the second. However, she led the team commendably and also picked up the important wickets of Healy and Tahlia McGrath. She had a decent campaign with the bat during the Women’s Big Bash League. The right-handed batter has a fantastic record against Australia in ODIs as she has amassed 563 runs at an average of 51.18 and a strike rate of 91.69 in 15 games.
2) Smriti Mandhana
The Indian opener looked in sublime touch during the Test. She scored 74 in the first innings and an unbeaten 38 in the second. So far, she has played just three ODI in 2023 and is averaging 35.33. The southpaw would play a key role at the top for the ‘Women in Blue’ and if she fires at the top, it will help the other batters to play around her. Smriti also can rotate strike and keep the scoreboard ticking, which makes her a vital player in the middle overs.
1) Jemimah Rodrigues
The flamboyant right-handed batter was the leading run-getter for India during their three-match ODI series against Bangladesh in Dhaka earlier this year. In three games, she finished with 129 runs, at an average of 64.50 and a strike rate of 86.58, on pitches that weren’t easy for the batters. Indian hopes will be pinned on Jemimah as she is one of the most experienced players in the team. She scored 73 and 12 not out in the two innings of the Test against Australia.
