Australia, 24 February (Sports Desk)
Australia Women Clinch Thrilling 6-Wicket Victory Over India in 1st ODI – Beth Mooney Stars with Match-Winning 91
In a tense and high-quality opener of the India Women in Australia 3-ODI Series 2026, Australia Women chased down India Women‘s total of 256/7 with 6 wickets in hand and 14 balls to spare at the Sydney Cricket Ground on February 24, 2026. This win gave Australia a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Key Match Details:
- Toss: India Women won the toss and elected to bat first.
- India Women Innings: 256/7 in 50 overs
- Smriti Mandhana top-scored with a fluent 78 off 102 balls (8 fours).
- Harmanpreet Kaur (captain) contributed 62 off 78 balls (5 fours, 1 six).
- Richa Ghosh provided a late flourish with 41 off 32 balls* (3 fours, 2 sixes).
- Australia’s bowlers were disciplined: Megan Schutt took 3/42, Ashleigh Gardner claimed 2/48, and Alana King picked 1/39.
- Australia Women Innings: 260/4 in 47.4 overs (target 257)
- Beth Mooney anchored the chase with a superb 91 off 104 balls (10 fours, 1 six) – her 10th ODI fifty and a calm, match-winning knock under pressure.
- Alyssa Healy gave a solid start with 45 off 52 balls.
- Tahlia McGrath finished unbeaten on 38 off 42 balls*.
- India’s bowlers fought hard: Renuka Singh took 2/51, Deepti Sharma claimed 1/42, but the middle overs belonged to Mooney.
- Result: Australia Women won by 6 wickets with 14 balls remaining.
watch…..Champion India A Seal 46-Run Win in Final – Tejal Hasabnis Player of the Match
Player of the Match: Beth Mooney – for her composed and classy 91 off 104 balls that steadied Australia’s chase and guided them to a comfortable victory. In her post-match comments, Mooney said: “It was a great team effort. The wicket got better to bat on, and I just tried to build partnerships. Happy to contribute to the win – now we look forward to the next game.”
This clinical chase highlighted Australia’s depth and composure in ODIs, while India will look to bounce back in the second ODI. Congratulations to the Southern Stars on a strong start to the series! 🇦🇺🏏
