The Indian women’s team showed resilience in the second ODI against Australia at Hobart’s Ninja Cricket Stadium. After tossing up and choosing to bat, they overcame a mid-innings wobble to finish at 251/9, handing Australia a 252-run victory target in their bid to square the series.
A bright start saw Smriti Mandhana (31 off 37, 4×4) and Pratiketa Rawal (52) add 78 runs. However, Rodrigues (11), Deepti Sharma (1), and Rawal’s exit pegged India back at 103/4.
Enter captain Harmanpreet Kaur, whose masterful 54 (70 balls, 2×4, 1×6) turned the tide. She nurtured the tail, with Amanjot Kaur (13), Richa Ghosh (22), Kashvee Gautam (25), Kranti Gaud (19), and debutante Vaishnavi Sharma (10* off 5) chipping in.
Australia’s bowlers shone: Ashley Gardner (10-0-39-2), Alana King (10-0-41-2), Annabel Sutherland (7-0-37-2), Megan Schutt (1 wicket), and Nicola Carey (1 wicket) applied brakes effectively.
Trailing 0-1, this total gives India renewed hope. Australia’s batters must navigate spin and seam to reach 252. The match hangs in balance, with India’s bowlers ready to defend.