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[Saba Sports News] At Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, the second ODI in the three-match series saw Australia face off against India. Alyssa Healy, the Australian skipper, won the toss and chose to bat.
The Australian innings was bolstered by Phoebe Litchfield and Ellyse Perry, who maintained their impressive form, scoring 63 and 50 runs respectively. Contributions from Tahlia McGrath, Annabel Sutherland, and Alana King helped Australia set a competitive total of 258/8 in their 50 overs. For India, Deepti Sharma excelled with the ball, claiming five wickets, including those of Perry, McGrath, and Sutherland.
In pursuit of 259, India’s innings showcased a standout performance from Richa Ghosh, who scored a near-century with 96 runs, and Jemimah Rodrigues, who added a valuable 44. Despite their efforts, India ended up falling short by just three runs, underlining the tight nature of the contest.
India’s chase faced early challenges with the dismissals of Yastika Bhatia and Smriti Mandhana. However, Ghosh’s impressive knock, along with partnerships lower down the order, kept India in contention. Despite contributions from the lower-middle order and tail-enders, India couldn’t cross the finish line in the final overs.
Critical wickets falling at key moments increased the pressure, leaving India needing a challenging 16 runs in the last over, which ultimately proved too difficult. Consequently, India not only lost the match but also the series.