new delhi: Riding high on a record-breaking performance, India will eye a historic first-ever women's ODI series win over the mighty Australia when the two sides clash in the decider of the three-match fixture here on Saturday.
The hosts have never managed to conquer the all-powerful world champions in a bilateral series, and a victory here would not only deliver that elusive triumph but also provide a timely surge of belief and momentum heading into the World Cup starting September 30.
However, it will be easier said than done.
After being outplayed in the opener, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team roared back with a stunning 102-run victory, which was Australia's heaviest defeat in terms of runs. It was also India's first win over them in 12 matches.
Yet, for all the broken records, glaring flaws remain. India's fielding was erratic as they put down as many as six catches in the second game, taking their tally of dropped chances to 10 across two matches, most of them regulation.
There were flashes of brilliance too, but the inconsistency is concerning, especially in contrast to the sharp fielding display the same group produced in England just a few months ago. "Today also we missed a few chances, but our bowlers kept giving us chances so that we could capitalise and keep the result in our favour," Harmanpreet admitted after the win.
Credit, though, must go to the bowlers for continually creating opportunities. Seamer Renuka Thakur, who returned to international cricket after recovering from a stress fracture, and her pace partner Kranti Goud choked the Australian top order, while the spinners kept the pressure on through the middle overs.
The inclusion of Arundhati Reddy as a third seam option also worked well for India. The hosts, however, are expected to go with a different
combination.