Australia have dominated the Indian women in the ongoing ODI series so far © Getty
India might have done the unthinkable at the 2017 World Cup to progress to the final at the cost of the mighty Australians and set up an enticing prelude to this IWC round. But Australia landed in India more determined than ever to prove that they still are the most potent side as far as the women's sport is concerned. And only in the two games so far on this limited-overs tour, Australia have out-batted, out-bowled and, more crucially, thoroughly out-smarted the hosts to an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the three-match ODI series.
Indiscipline in India's bowling
While defending 200 on a batting beauty was far-fetched, India played into Australia's hands by peppering them with short balls, also offering a lot of width, that allowed the batters to bring out their bread-and-butter shots. When Indian bowlers improved their lengths in the succeeding game, they erred a lot on the fuller side. And the frequency of the looseners - one almost every over and duly punished - never let the dot-ball pressure nibble at Australia's run rate. The spinners too haven't been spared every time they've dropped it short. Nicole Bolton's match-winning hundred on Monday, when she swept away to glory, would attest to that.
While it wouldn't have been a major contributing factor to their first defeat, India did miss the consistency of their spearhead Jhulan Goswami, as Ellyse Perry pointed. "I think they are missing Jhulan a bit. She's much of a figurehead for their team. [With her in the eleven], it could have been a different story at some point..."
For Australia, Megan Schutt has consistently maintained an off and middle line, giving away just 61 in the 20 overs so far for. Her figures in the opening spell in game two were 5-3-8-0, and she eventually finished with 24 for 1 as none of the Indian batters had an answer to her slow medium-pace. Though she's picked only two wickets in as many games so far, she has the lowest economy rate - that of 3.05 - amongst whoever has ever bowled an over in this series. And that pressure has aided others around, specially spinners who have accounted for 14 of the 20 wickets.
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