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Australia and India Conclude Multi-Format Cricket Series with Leadership Changes and Competitive Matches

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Multi-Format Cricket Series: Australia vs. India – Captaincy Shift, Milestones, and Competitive Clashes

A captivating multi-format cricket series between Australia and India saw a significant change in Australian captaincy, numerous player milestones, and fiercely contested matches across Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), One Day Internationals (ODIs), and a solitary Test match. Australia ultimately secured the ODI series and the Test match, while India emerged victorious in the T20I series.

Leadership Transition and Squad Announcements

Sophie Molineux, 28, was appointed Australia's new all-format cricket captain, succeeding Alyssa Healy. Molineux's official captaincy debut was scheduled for February 15 against India at the SCG in the first T20I. Tahlia McGrath and Ash Gardner were named Molineux's vice-captains. Molineux also captains Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades, having led her WBBL side to a title in 2024.

Sophie Molineux was appointed Australia's new all-format cricket captain, succeeding Alyssa Healy, marking a new era for the Australian team.

Cricket Australia's Head of Performance and Women's Selector, Shawn Flegler, confirmed that Molineux's workload would be carefully managed due to her history of knee and foot injuries, with a clear focus on prioritizing key tournaments and major international series. Molineux herself indicated that her leadership style would emphasize subtle improvements and a collaborative approach with her vice-captains.

Squad changes for the India series included the omission of leg-spinner Alana King from the T20 squad and quick bowler Megan Schutt from the ODI squad. All-rounder Nicola Carey was recalled to both the ODI and T20 squads, marking her first international match since 2022. Left-arm pace bowler Lucy Hamilton was identified as a potential Test debutant. Flegler cited the depth in spin-bowling options for King's T20 absence and described Schutt's omission as a "tough call," while noting Carey's strong domestic and overseas performances and Hamilton's promising potential.

T20 International Series

The three-match T20I series, crucial for Australia's preparation for the T20 World Cup in June, commenced on February 15.

First T20I (February 15, SCG)

Australia, under new captain Sophie Molineux, suffered a 21-run defeat to India in a rain-affected match via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. After Molineux lost the toss, Australia batted first and was bowled out for 133 runs in 18 overs, with Georgia Wareham top-scoring with 30 runs. India's seamer Arundhati Reddy claimed an impressive 4-22. India was 1-50 after 5.1 overs when rain halted play, securing their victory. This marked Australia's first loss in a bilateral series opener at home in a decade and their lowest T20 score in six years. Arundhati Reddy was named Player of the Match.

Second T20I (February 19, Manuka Oval)

Australia bounced back with a victory over India. Australia posted 163-5, driven by Georgia Voll's outstanding 88 runs and Beth Mooney's contribution of 46. Arundhati Reddy once again shone for India with 2-30. India finished at 132-8 in their chase. Key wickets for Australia included Shafali Verma (29) dismissed by Molineux, Jemimah Rodrigues (4) and Richa Ghosh (19) by Ashleigh Gardner, and Smriti Mandhana (31) and Harmanpreet Kaur (36) by Kim Garth. Georgia Voll received the Player of the Match award for her highest T20I score.

Third T20I (February 21, Adelaide Oval)

India secured a 17-run victory over Australia, thereby winning the T20 series 2-1. India won the toss and elected to bat, posting a formidable 6-176, which was the highest women's T20 international score at the venue. Smriti Mandhana blazed to 82 runs from 55 balls, supported by Jemimah Rodrigues' 59 runs from 46 deliveries. For Australia, Annabel Sutherland took 2-34 and Kim Garth recorded 1-25. Australia's chase concluded at 9-159, with Ash Gardner leading the scoring with 57 runs from 45 balls. Indian bowlers Shreyanka Patil (3-22), Shree Charani (3-32), and Arundhati Reddy (2-35) were instrumental. Ellyse Perry played her 350th international match in this game.

One Day International Series

Following the T20Is, a three-match ODI series commenced. Prior to the ODIs, Sophie Molineux was unfortunately ruled out of the entire series due to a back injury and was replaced by Nicola Carey in the ODI squad. Alyssa Healy returned to the squad for the ODIs.

First ODI (February 24, Allan Border Field, Brisbane)

India won the toss and elected to bat. Megan Schutt dismissed Pratika Rawal for 0. Darcie Brown took the wicket of Shafali Verma for 4. Ashleigh Gardner dismissed Jemimah Rodrigues for 8. Smriti Mandhana reached her half-century but was dismissed by Tahlia McGrath for 58 runs. India was 100-4 with Harmanpreet Kaur batting at 21 runs at the time of the report.

Second ODI (February 27, Bellerive Oval, Hobart)

Australia defeated India by five wickets, securing the ODI series. India batted first, posting 251-9. Pratika Rawal scored 52 and Smriti Mandhana 31, forming a 78-run opening partnership. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur made 54. Ash Gardner took 2-39 and Alana King claimed 2-41 for Australia. Australia chased the target comfortably, reaching 252-5 in the 37th over. Georgia Voll scored her second ODI century with 101 runs, and Phoebe Litchfield contributed 80 runs, forming a significant partnership. Georgia Voll was named Player of the Match.

Third ODI (March 1, Bellerive Oval, Hobart)

India won the toss and elected to bowl. Alyssa Healy received a guard of honor. Australia made two changes, with Lucy Hamilton making her international ODI debut (cap 151) and Georgia Wareham joining the team. India made three changes. Kashvee Gautam dismissed Phoebe Litchfield for 14. Alyssa Healy and Georgia Voll formed both a 50-run and then a 100-run partnership. Healy reached her half-century with 51 runs, and Voll reached her fifty with 50 runs before being dismissed for 62 by Sneh Rana. Healy then completed her century, reaching 100 runs. After 31 overs, Australia was 209-2, with Healy on 106* and Beth Mooney on 24*.

Test Match

The multi-format series concluded with a day-night Test match from March 6-9 at the WACA Ground in Perth.

Pre-match Details

Australia awaited a decision on Ellyse Perry's availability due to a quadriceps injury, with Captain Alyssa Healy indicating Perry's participation was "looking promising" after training sessions. If Perry was cleared, Australia's XI was expected to resemble their last Test lineup against England, with Lucy Hamilton potentially replacing the injured Kim Garth. If Perry was unavailable, uncapped Rachel Trenaman or a reshuffled batting lineup to accommodate another bowling option were possibilities. Healy noted the WACA pitch's green tinge and expected high temperatures.

Day Two Summary

Australia was nearing victory against India at the close of day two. Annabel Sutherland scored her third consecutive Test century and fourth overall, making her the first Australian woman to achieve this feat. She scored 129 runs from 171 balls and later took two wickets. Ellyse Perry contributed 76 runs from 116 balls, becoming Australia’s leading run-scorer in the format, surpassing Karen Rolton. Sutherland and Perry established a crucial 128-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Sutherland matched the record for the fastest player to four Test hundreds (10 innings), a record shared with Neil Harvey. Australia was eventually bowled out for 323, securing a 125-run first-innings lead. Indian debutant Sayali Satghare took 4-50.

In India's second innings, Darcie Brown dismissed Smriti Mandhana for 2. Debutante Lucy Hamilton made an impact, taking three wickets to conclude with 3-32. Sutherland finished with 2-15. India concluded day two at 6-105, trailing by 20 runs.

Multi-Format Series Overview

The multi-format series operated on a points system: two points for each white-ball win (T20I or ODI) and four points for a Test win.

  • T20 Series: India won 2-1, gaining 4 points.
  • ODI Series: Australia won 2-1, gaining 4 points.
  • Test Match: Australia won, gaining 4 points.

At the conclusion of day two of the Test match, Australia led the multi-format series 8-4. India required a victory in the Test to draw the overall series.

Upcoming matches for former Australian captain Alyssa Healy after this series are her last before retirement.