Darcie Brown Mithali Raj

Thanks to Darcie Brown tremendous performance, Indian women’s cricket team has been outplayed in every aspect of the game in their opening ODI against Australia. The Indians desperately need their top-order players – both batters and bowlers to find form and fire up against an in-form Australia in the Day-Night (2nd) ODI at Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay on Friday, 24 September.

This is the time when Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana have to deliver for India to put pressure on Australia. Indians were given a nine-wicket thrashing in the 1st ODI on September 21.

After the game on Friday, there is the 3rd and final decider ODI on Sunday.

Both Shafalia and Smriti can tackle the fearsome opening bowling attack of Ellyse Perry and the new found Australian treasure Darcie Browne. They have to make sure they deliver and deliver in style and tonight or else the ODI series will be lost to Australia.

Even for the boys, the Indian cricketers always depend on their top order and once they are able to resist the initial attack from the opposition, the middle order and the bowling attack – both deliver.

Such was the thrashing that 61 runs by skipper Mithali Raj went waste.

And it was all due to Darcie Brown and another debutante Hannah Darlington. Darcie, leading from the first ball, finished with 4-33 and Hannah earned 2-29.

The record-breaking haul of Darcie Brown ensured Australia’s nine-wicket victory over India in Mackay. The Aussie girls met the 226 target in just 41 overs and recorded Australia’s 25th consecutive ODI win.

Also read: Australia-India Women Cricket series starts next week

The 18-year-old Darcie became the youngest Australian – female or male – to take four wickets in a one-day international.

She earned the wickets of four of India’s top five in her first international match on home soil.

For Australia Alyssa Healy (77) and Rachael Haynes (93no) played for a 126-run opening stand, while Lanning’s (53no) stint at the wicket was equally valuable.

Both Alyssa Healy and Rachael Haynes became the ninth and tenth Australian women to reach 2000 career ODI runs.

It would have been even sweeter for Rachael Haynes if  she could complete her ODI century.

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