INDW vs AUSW: Ice-cool Australia seal series in Wankhede thriller

The second match of the three-game ODI series between India and Australia was played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Australian captain Alyssa Healy, having won the toss, opted to bat first.

Phoebe Litchfield and Ellyse Perry continued their excellent form from the previous game, each scoring a half-century with 63 and 50 runs, respectively. Tahlia McGrath, Annabel Sutherland, and Alana King contributed useful runs to take Australia to a decent total of 258/8 at the end of 50 overs. Deepti Sharma was India’s standout performer with the ball, taking five wickets, including those of Perry, McGrath, and Sutherland.

India’s innings, in response to Australia’s target of 259, featured notable performances from Richa Ghosh, who scored an impressive 96 runs, and Jemimah Rodrigues, who contributed a solid 44. Despite these efforts, India fell just three runs short of the target, highlighting a closely contested match.

The team faced some early setbacks with the departures of Yastika Bhatia and Smriti Mandhana, but Ghosh’s innings and partnerships helped keep India in the game. While the lower-middle order and tail-enders also made contributions, India ultimately couldn’t quite achieve the required runs in the final overs. The fall of wickets at crucial moments in the innings increased the required run rate, leaving India needing 16 runs off the final over, which proved to be a tough ask. As a result, India lost both the game and the series.