Author: Trisha Ghosal

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…

Trisha Ghosal in Mullanpur Every time India Women face Australia and come up short, the comments sections of live shows are flooded with one question: Why can’t India beat them? The answer, in large part, lies in mindset and on-field attitude. Bright start, quick adjustment At Mullanpur yesterday, where the sun came and went but the heat and humidity remained punishing, the conditions were tough even for players used to the Indian climate. Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and chose to bat first. The Australians, however, charged onto the field with energy. India began well. Off the fourth ball of…

Trisha Ghosal in Mullanpur Australia’s batting depth, India’s dropped catches, missed chances and a failed bowling plan summed up the match. India are still unable to find a way to defeat Australia at home. Winning the toss and opting to bat, India were off to a solid start, with both openers reaching 50s. But once Smriti Mandhana was run out after a horrible mix-up, the Indian innings went off the rails. Harleen Deol’s quickfire 50 and small contributions from Richa Ghosh, Radha Yadav and Deepti Sharma took India to 281/7 in the first ODI. Australia’s openers Alyssa Healy and Phoebe…

By Trisha Ghosal in Mullanpur India were off to a strong start with Smriti Mandhana finding boundaries and Pratika Rawal batting cautiously. The openers were cruising, Australia looked clueless, and India reached 75 for no loss in 13 overs at the first drinks break. But the Australians regrouped, changed their plans, brought fielders in, and successfully squeezed the runs. From the outset, there had been confusion in India’s running between the wickets. Pratika was eager to push for runs, while Smriti was reluctant to take half chances. With boundaries drying up, the batters were forced to rely on quick singles…

Trisha Ghosal in Mullanpur This India–Australia series has more significance than it seems. Both sides need crucial answers before the World Cup. India’s key questions When Amanjot Kaur returns, who partners her with the new ball – Renuka Singh or Kranti Goud? Both rely on inswing as their stock delivery and offer similar batting depth. Renuka, back after injury, has not played international cricket since last December. During her rehab, India unearthed Kranti. Her inswingers filled the gap impressively. But with the home World Cup approaching, the team must choose between Renuka’s experience and Kranti’s momentum after recent success in…