Rose Bowl, ICC C'ship secured, how are Aussies placed for Ashes?

Australia's twin ODI sweeps over India and New Zealand have ticked off some significant boxes in the lead-up to next month's Ashes, while several questions still remain ahead of the multi-format series.

Heading into this month's 50-over action, the focus was on how Australia would respond to their shock T20 World Cup semi-final exit.

They did so with gusto, despite several injury setbacks: they bowled India out for 100 at Allan Border Field, then set targets of 372 and 299 in the second and third ODIs against Harmanpreet Kaur's team.

Travelling across the Tasman to play T20 World Cup champions New Zealand, Australia had to wait when the first game was abandoned without a ball bowled, but they then made the most of two chances to set a target at the Basin Reserve, posting scores of 7-291 and 290 all out.

"The chat that we have is that there's no ceilings, and we don't want to put that marker on what we can achieve," Ashleigh Gardner said of Australia's batting unit. 

"We would love to be able to score 300 every single game, but based on conditions sometimes 350 is a par score, or 280 might be defendable. 

"To get close to 300 here in both games is really pleasing. We were in some tough positions throughout both games, and to find a way to get to those big scores, that's certainly what we're going to keep trying to do, because we're coming up some good opposition who can score big runs as well." 

Australia now have a two-week break to reset ahead of the Ashes, which begin with the first ODI at North Sydney Oval on January 12.

Speaking after Monday's final ODI win over the White Ferns, allrounder Gardner said starting the Ashes with the 50-over games was an ideal scenario, given the momentum Australia has built in the format.

"Coming off the T20 World Cup, we had a point to prove and I think 50-over cricket is probably our best format, and I think we were pretty clinical in all games that we've played (since)," Gardner said. 

"To finish off the year like that, going home with another trophy ... is pretty pleasing.

"Where the team's at the moment, we're in a really positive space. 

"We've done a lot of talking. So now it's about the action, and what we can do from now going into the Ashes, which we all know is going to be pretty tough."

With the Ashes in mind, here are other key takeaways and questions from this month's one-day action:

Mixed results for the top four 

Each of the five players who featured in Australia's top four had their moments, despite none producing the consistency they likely would have wanted across the two series.

Georgia Voll was excellent in her debut series against India, hitting 46no, 101 and 26. She had to make way for a returning Alyssa Healy against New Zealand, but will be waiting in the wings should she be called upon against England.

Phoebe Litchfield will go into the Christmas break off a confidence-boosting 50 against the White Ferns on Monday, which followed knocks of 35, 60, 25 and 25. 

Ellyse Perry hit a brilliant hundred in the second one-dayer to sit alongside scores of 1, 4, 29 and 14.

Beth Mooney also hit a fifty in the second ODI runs fest against India, with her next highest score the 14 she hit in the second Rose Bowl game.

Healy looked solid in her return from a knee injury, playing aggressively for 34 and 39.

"Seeing Midge back, she's not played a lot of cricket, so heading into the Ashes it gives her a bit of confidence is always really pleasing," Gardner said.

Middle-order step up to the challenge 

While the top four dominated in Australia's blitz of 8-371 in Brisbane, it was the middle-order, led by Annabel Sutherland, who steered their team out of tricky positions in the remaining games.

Australia were 4-78 in the third ODI against India, then 4-110 and 4-127 against New Zealand, but posted 290-plus on each occasion thanks to Sutherland's back-to-back hundreds, and Gardner's career-best 74 in the final NZ one-dayer.

"With someone like Belsy batting at five scoring hundreds, and our middle-order doing a job as well, just gives flexibility for the people the top of the order to take the game on, which is so pleasing to see," Gardner said. 

 "For such a young player, she's got her head switched on and just the conversations we have out in the middle are really simple, and just the language that's used is really clear. 

"To be able to rebuild in a couple of games like we have, I feel like we've run really well together and that just comes back to communication and just trusting who's at the other end."

Gardner hit two half-centuries in the space of three innings, and said she would take a lot of confidence from her time in the middle.

It came after a lean patch in the WBBL where she averaged 12.87 for the Sydney Sixers, while the allrounder had passed 20 in just three of her previous 18 international innings prior to her 50 against India at the WACA.

"It was good to spend some time out in the middle," Gardner said. "I felt really good in game two (against New Zealand), and unfortunately, wasn't able to contribute too much more. 

"But today, to put the team in a really good position ... for me it was just being able to get my confidence back and I've felt really good through the last two tours with bat and ball and for me, it's just being able to spend some time at the middle.

"Sometimes when the top-order fires, I don't get the chance to, so that's one silver lining to the top-order not necessarily firing the way that they would have liked, just being able to get the confidence into the middle-order."

Bowling attack splits the rewards

Sutherland backed up her batting heroics with the ball and was Australia's leading bowler across the five one-dayers, taking nine wickets at 16.22.

Gardner and Megan Schutt picked up eight apiece, including career-best five-wicket hauls against India, while Alana King made the most of her chances when they came along, taking seven wickets at 15.85, including her three-wicket haul in the final one-dayer on Monday.

Kim Garth collected five, but was brilliant at building pressure with the new ball, maintaining an economy rate of 3.90 across the two series.

"I think our bowlers are amazing and can adapt in all conditions, so it's exciting," Gardner said.

"(Today will) give a bit of confidence to Kingy ... she probably hasn't bowled as much as she would have liked over these last couple of series, but we always know that when Kingy comes on, that something's going to happen. 

"She always brings that energy, which is always amazing but to see her bowl as well as she did today was really pleasing and that's just going to give her plenty of confidence going into the Ashes."

Georgia Wareham played just one game across the two series, but did not bowl, while Darcie Brown sent down a combined 11 overs across her two appearances.

Injuries a concern ahead of the Ashes 

Sophie Molineux was ruled out of the New Zealand tour due to a knee issue – a problem that interrupted her WBBL|10 campaign and saw her miss the opening one-dayer against India.

It remains to be seen whether the Victorian will be fit to return for the Ashes, but the spin-bowling allrounder would no doubt be desperate to after missing both the 2021-2022 and 2023 editions.

Healy did not keep wicket in her return to the Australia XI against New Zealand, and it is not clear whether she will resume that role for the Ashes, or whether Beth Mooney will remain behind the stumps.

The rivalry resumes with a blockbuster series in Australia from Jan 12 - Feb 2. Learn about the remarkable 90-year history at the Women's Ashes Hub