Phoebe Litchfield’s boundary-laden knock has helped Australia romp to an eight-wicket victory in the opening one-day international against India in New Chandigarh.
India won the toss and elected to bat, setting Australia 282 in the first of three one-dayers serving as warm-up games for the ODI World Cup starting later this month.
But the hosts, having posted 7- 281 in their 50 overs, were clinically overhauled by the Australians, led by Litchfield as she cracked 14 fours in an 80-ball 88, while Beth Mooney (77*) and Annabel Sutherland (54*) also carded unbeaten half-centuries to steer the chase home.
Earlier, India openers Smriti Mandhana (58) and Pratika Rawal (64) and then Harleen Deol (54) also went past the 50 mark for India.
Deol came in at three after a 114-run opening stand and eventually became the first of two victims to Megan Schutt (2-45), who became the ninth Australian woman to play 100 one-day internationals.
Richa Ghosh (25) and Radha Yadav (19) added valuable runs down the Indian order while Deepti Sharma was unbeaten on 25 in the face of tight bowling from Ellyse Perry (0-15), Sutherland (1-31) and Georgia Wareham (0-36).
All up, Australia used eight bowlers, with only opening seamer Kim Garth (1-56) completing her full complement of 10 overs during the team preparation for its first World Cup clash with New Zealand on October 1 in Indore.
Australia captain and opener Alyssa Healy, playing her first international since the Ashes Test against England ended on February 1, looked determined to take the game to India before she fell to all-rounder Kranti Goode for 27 off 23.
But then it was time for Litchfield, next backed up by Perry, to really impose herself on the game as she reached her half-century from 44 deliveries.
Perry’s contribution was ended early when the 34-year-old was forced to retire with a calf cramping on 30, but player of the match Litchfield maintained the momentum until she fell 12 runs short of a third one-day century when caught off Sneh Rana.
That left Mooney and Sutherland to see the visitors past the target, reaching 2-282 in 44.1 overs with 35 balls to spare, in what was the fourth-highest run chase in women’s one-dayers. ABC News
