Author: Trisha Ghosal

Trisha Ghosal in Delhi Two ODIs gone, one left to decide. The India–Australia women’s series has shifted from Mullanpur to Delhi, where tomorrow’s third and final game will hand one side the bragging rights. Both teams arrive with very different sets of questions, but with the same urgency: win, and take the series. India’s story so far has been written largely by one player. Out of 573 runs scored in the series, Smriti Mandhana has piled up 175 —30.54% of the aggregate. Each time she has batted, India looked capable of stretching towards 320. Each time she departed, the scoring…

By Trisha Ghosal in Mullanpur For 18 years, India waited. On a balmy evening in Mullanpur, that wait ended. A comprehensive 102-run victory over Australia not only levelled the ODI series 1-1 but also handed India one of their most significant wins in the format. Beyond the scoreline, the game offered Harmanpreet Kaur’s side five crucial positives that could prove decisive with the World Cup looming. Smriti Mandhana’s Commanding Form Smriti Mandhana carried her rhythm seamlessly from the first ODI into the second. Her 117 off 91 balls wasn’t just about numbers; it was an exhibition of control, precision, and…

Trisha Ghosal in Mullanpur After 18 years, India finally ticked one of the biggest boxes just before the ODI World Cup — beating Australia at home. The hosts sealed a famous win by 102 runs. Australia won the toss and chose to bowl. Smriti Mandhana produced a masterful 117 to set the tone, while Deepti Sharma anchored the middle overs in Jemimah Rodrigues’ absence. Sneh Rana chipped in with a vital 24 to push India to 292 all out. India’s bowling was strengthened by the return of Renuka Singh Thakur, who struck in her very first over to remove Georgia…

By Trisha Ghosal in Mullanpur Smriti Mandhana batted as if she had carried her rhythm straight from the first ODI. Sublime in touch, decisive with her footwork, and precise in her shot selection, she seemed to know exactly which bowler to take on and which gap to exploit. Watching her was like watching someone thread a needle with elegance. She reached her 12th century with ease, making 117 off 91 balls with 14 fours and 4 sixes at a strike rate of 128.57. Earlier, Australia captain Alyssa Healy won the toss and opted to field. Both teams made changes. Australia,…

By Trisha Ghosal in Mullanpur Australia showed why they remain the gold standard in women’s cricket with a commanding win in the first ODI at Mullanpur. Sharp fielding, disciplined bowling and a calm chase highlighted their superiority. India, left with more questions than answers, will need a stronger all-round effort to level the series in the second game. India’s batting began brightly last time, with Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal laying the foundation through half-centuries. But the innings lost steam once Mandhana was run out in a mix-up, exposing India’s familiar middle-overs issues. Harleen Deol eventually finished with a fifty,…

Trisha Ghosal in Mullanpur India’s preparation for the second ODI against Australia was anything but straightforward on Monday evening. What began as a routine warm-up quickly turned chaotic as heavy showers lashed the Mullanpur ground — first at the very start of training, and then again midway through the session. Despite the interruptions, the hosts managed to tick off some key boxes, especially in fielding and batting drills. The biggest takeaway was Renuka Singh’s involvement in specialised fielding routines. Alongside Harleen Deol, she spent a prolonged period taking high catches in different parts of the ground, adjusting under the floodlights.…

Trisha Ghosal in Mullanpur On the eve of the second ODI against Australia, Deepti Sharma was calm and composed in front of the press. The all-rounder stressed that India were not dwelling on their defeat in the opening game, and that the focus was firmly on carrying forward the positives from the first game. From fielding lapses to the challenge posed by Australia, Deepti addressed a wide range of questions, highlighting the team’s confidence and clarity of roles. “No big difference between India and Australia” Asked about what makes the Australian side such a difficult opponent, Deepti was quick to…

Trisha Ghosal in Mullanpur Australia took a 1–0 lead in the ODI series with a comfortable win in the opener. On the eve of the second match, the visitors had an optional training session. Here are the highlights: Healy, Sutherland absent; Molineux working towards full fitness Captain Alyssa Healy and all-rounder Annabel Sutherland opted out of the optional nets. Sophie Molineux, however, was busy. First seen doing short sprints, she later bowled a full-throttle spell in the nets, with her leg still heavily strapped. Perry and Gardner fine-tune against Radha and Sree Charani simulations Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner spent…

Trisha Ghosal in Mullanpur On the eve of the second ODI of the series between India and Australia, Beth Mooney addressed the press conference and opened up on the heat, India’s performance, Phoebe Litchfield’s batting and Australia’s practice against spin bowling. Expecting India’s fightback Mooney admitted that while Australia took the opening ODI in style, she is not underestimating India’s ability to bounce back. “Any international game isn’t obviously easy,” Mooney said on the eve of the second ODI in Mullanpur. “The opening partnership put us to test. Phoebe Litchfield’s fielding helped us get the breakthrough. India will come back…

Trisha Ghosal in Mullanpur After yesterday’s defeat to Australia, much of the post-match chatter centred on Pratika Rawal’s strike-rate and whether the youngster was suited to opening. But to pin the blame solely on her is to overlook the larger truth of India’s innings: the slowdown in the middle overs was a collective problem. Smriti Mandhana began brightly, racing to 34 off her first 36 deliveries. Yet once settled, her tempo also dipped. In her next 26 balls, she added just 24 more runs — 14 of those coming from two fours and one six. That meant in the other…