Perth, December 11
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur reflected on her team's performance during the post-match presentation, after their 3-0 loss to Australia, acknowledging the positives and the areas needing improvement.
"We bowled well, Arundhati [Reddy] especially, because of her we were in the game. We have a lot to learn from these games, will go back and analyse the tour. Smriti's [Mandhana] knock and when Richa [Ghosh] scored 50 in the second game, that was crucial. We did well in patches, did not continue to keep the momentum. We have to learn how to take things till the end," Kaur said in the post-match presentation, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
While the series was a tough outing for India, the performances of Reddy, Mandhana, and Richa Ghosh--who scored 54 off 72 in the second game--provided some positives to build on. Kaur emphasized the importance of learning from the experience and improving their ability to sustain momentum and finish matches strongly.
Arundhati Reddy's impressive 4/26 was a highlight in an otherwise challenging series for India. Despite Reddy's efforts, Australia posted a formidable total of 298/6 in their 50 overs. Sutherland and Gardner's significant contributions were bolstered by Tahlia McGrath's innings and the earlier efforts of Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Voll, who laid a solid foundation.
In response, India's innings faltered despite a valiant century from Smriti Mandhana, who scored her ninth ODI hundred. Mandhana's 105 off 109 balls was a lone beacon in an otherwise disappointing chase. Harleen Deol's 39 was the only other significant contribution as India crumbled under the pressure of a steep target, ultimately being bowled out for 215.
Megan Schutt and Alana King also played pivotal roles with the ball, each picking up two wickets, complementing Ashleigh Gardner's five-wicket haul and Sutherland's economical bowling.