Got to try and nail the third ODI because of championship points: Mooney

Despite the 2-0 lead, Australia’s senior professional Beth Mooney isn’t taking the series lightly, stating that the third ODI is as crucial because of the ODI Championship points on offer. Australia currently lead the table with 32 points after 20 games and have already qualified for the Women’s ODI World Cup in 2025.

Mooney insisted that the team would want to grab the remaining points during the third ODI and head to New Zealand with a focus on winning more games. 

"I think we have to take each of these games in isolation as they're for championship points," Mooney said. "We have got to try and nail [the series-finale] and then head over the ditch to New Zealand and get a few points there."

Luckily for Australia, Alyssa Healy’s absence at the top of the order has been well covered by the dynamic presence of Georgia Voll (101 off 87), who blew the Indian bowling unit to smithereens in the second ODI. 

Voll was one of the two Australian batters to score a century, helping the hosts amass 371 at the end of their 50 overs. She walked into the national team after a breakthrough Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) season, where the 21-year-old scored 330 runs, striking at 144.73. 

"Voll has taken to it [international cricket] like a duck to water. She is a bit of a breath of fresh air being a country kid,” Mooney said. 

"She knows her game pretty well after doing it for a while in domestic cricket, so I think that has helped her come into international cricket with a bit of confidence in her own game and her own form. She has been really impressive. She has certainly done everything she can to make sure she keeps her name up in lights with the Australian selectors."

Mooney also offered insights into the return of Healy, who might feature in the series against New Zealand. 

"Healy is doing everything she can to make sure she is right, she will head over to New Zealand with us," Mooney said. "She has been in the nets batting and things like that. I don't know if she has done any keeping yet.

"She will get assessed going into New Zealand, but I think at this stage she will just try and get on the field as a batter."

The third ODI will begin on December 11 in Perth, with Australia leading the series 2-0. 

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