Healy stars as Australia complete clean sweep

A maiden international century from Alyssa Healy and a brilliant fightback with the ball led by Ashleigh Gardner has guided Australia to a 97-run victory and an ODI series whitewash against India.

Batting first, Healy’s 133 helped Australia reach 7-332, their first ODI total above 300 since 2012, their highest-ever total against India and their third-highest in ODI history.

With the series already lost, and having conceded their highest total in a one-dayer, India had nothing to lose – and their openers batted like it, the enormous total giving them license to attack from ball one.

Smriti Mandhana and 17-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues, in only her second ODI, raced to 0-101 from 13 overs, leaving Australia skipper Meg Lanning scratching her head.

It was going to take a piece of magic to stop the aggressive batters on a good wicket and lightning-fast outfield, but Gardner produced exactly that in the 14th over, Rodrigues well caught by Haynes at mid-on to depart for 42 (41) before she trapped Mandhana (52 off 42) in front one ball later.

The wickets brought India’s captain Mithali Raj and her deputy Harmanpreet Kaur to the crease, the pair barely skipping a beat as they kept the pressure on the Australian bowlers.

Ticking off a boundary per over kept the run rate under check, but again the tourists struck at a key moment, Nicola Carey finding the edge of Kaur’s bat with Healy doing the rest of the work. 

Her departure for 25 was soon followed by her leader, Raj (21 off 38) falling to a brilliant low catch from Rachael Haynes.

 

Meshram’s tough day at the office continued when she holed out to deep mid-wicket for one, while a spirited 30 off 35 from ‘keeper Sushma Verma briefly excited the crowd, three wickets in two overs – including two in two balls from Ellyse Perry – ended any faint remaining hopes for the hosts.

Gardner (3-40) lead the wicket-taking for Australia, while Perry (2-40) and Schutt (2-54) also struck multiple blows.

Earlier, Australia suffered an early blow when in-form opener Nicole Bolton, who scored 100no and 84 in the opening two matches, was dismissed by left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht for 11 in the sixth over.

At the other end, Healy struggled to find her feet early – as she had done in the second ODI when she was dismissed for a 37-ball 19 – but on this occasion the fiery batter resisted the templated to hit out in frustration.

After working her way to 7 from 16, the NSW star found her groove in the eighth over of the Australian innings with two boundaries and a six, bringing up her half-century from 47 deliveries.

Handed lives on 27 and again on 58 – both times on the boundary and both times by Mona Meshram – Healy capitalised, playing all around the ground as she first passed her previous highest ODI score, 71, and her highest international score, 90, before reaching triple figures from 94 deliveries.

She then picked up the pace in partnership with vice-captain Haynes, the pair putting on 96 runs in 12 overs before Healy perished attempting another big shot down the ground in the 42nd over, ending a knock that featured 17 fours and two sixes.

Haynes was run out for 43 (39) the following over, but Gardner continued the assault with a 20-ball 35, before Beth Mooney put the icing on with a 19-ball 34, capping an outstanding day for the Australian batters.

Australia now return to Mumbai for an T20I tri-series against India and England. 

Commonwealth Bank Tour of India

Australia ODI squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Belinda Vakarewa, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington

Australia T20 squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Naomi Stalenberg, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington

India ODI squad: Mithali Raj (Captain), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Smriti Mandhana, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Veda Krishnamurthy, Mona Meshram, Sushma Verma, Ekta Bisht, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shikha Pandey, Sukanya Parida, Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma

India T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Mithali Raj, Veda Krishnamurthy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Anuja Patil, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Rumeli Dhar, Mona Meshram.

England T20I squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Kate Cross, Alice Davidson-Richards, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Katie George, Jenny Gunn, Alex Hartley, Danielle Hazell, Amy Jones, Anya Shrubsole, Bryony Smith, Nat Sciver, Fran Wilson, Danni Wyatt

Warm-up match Australia beat India A by 321 runs. Report

Warm-up match Australia beat India A by seven wickets. Report

ODI series

First ODI Australia won by eight wickets Scorecard

Second ODI Australia won by 60 runs Scorecard 

Third ODI Reliance Stadium, Vadodara, March 18

T20I tri-series

First T20I Australia v India, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 22

Second T20I Australia v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 23

Third T20I India v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 25

Fourth T20I Australia v India, Brabourne Stadium, March 26

Fifth T20I Australia v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 28

Sixth T20I India v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 29

Final Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 31