Arundhati Reddy, Titas Sadhu back as India women bowl first in Perth

The coin fell in the favour of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur in the third ODI yet again after the first ODI as India have decided to bowl first at the WACA ground in Perth. 

The Indians have had really rough outings in the first two games, where Australia clinically outplayed them in all three aspects of the game. While a collective batting failure saw them get bowled out for just 100 in the first ODI, a hapless bowling performance led to them conceding 371 runs in the second ODI. 

To rub salt on their wounds, opener Priya Punia also got injured on her left knee and now won’t be part of the third ODI. Pace bowling all-rounder Arundhati Reddy has been drafted in to replace her, with Harleen Deol slotted to open the batting with Smriti Mandhana. Uma Chetry's option was also available with the team; however, they have decided not to play her. 

𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: Ms Priya Punia sustained an injury on her left knee in the 2nd ODI, at the Allan Border Field. She was not available for selection for the Third ODI.

The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring her progress.#TeamIndia | #AUSvIND https://t.co/fNKjTCxSRS

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 11, 2024

Priya Mishra, who bowled the most expensive spell by an Indian bowler in ODIs, has also been dropped on the quick WACA pitch, and pacer Titas Sadhu has been added to the elevens to bolster the bowling ranks. 

Meanwhile, Australia are going unchanged in the third ODI. They have been on a roll in the series, with opener Georgia Voll shining through with 147 runs in just two innings. Beth Mooney heaped loads of praise on her and also said that Australia will not reduce their intensity after winning the series as ICC Women’s ODI Championship points are at stake. 

However, India, who have already qualified for the ODI World Cup in 2025 by virtue of being the hosts, have a lot of pride to salvage in this game as they were insipid in the first two ODIs. With a series against the West Indies starting at home just four days from today, they have no time to go back to the drawing board. They’ll need to find out what’s working best for them in this format. 

So there’s a lot on the line for both teams to play for at the iconic venue in the Western corner of Australia.

Playing XIs

India women: Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Minnu Mani, Saima Thakor, Renuka Thakur Singh, Arundhati Reddy, Titas Sadhu

Australia women: Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney(w), Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath(c), Sophie Molineux, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt

Pitch Report

Jason Behrendorff and Justin Langer feel that there is a good covering of grass and it is expected to have good bounce and carry, a treat for fast bowlers at the WACA. That is not to say it could be tough for batting. There will be bounce but cuts and pulls should aid the batters well.

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