Australia 298 for 6 (Sutherland 110, McGrath 56*, Gardner 50, Reddy 4-26) beaten India 215 (Mandhana 105, Deol 39, Gardner 5-30, Schutt 2-26) by 83 runs
After being sent down, Sutherland got Australia out of trouble with 110 off 95 balls as the home side reached a formidable 298 for 6.
After struggling with the bat in the first two matches in Brisbane, India had an uphill task in their bid to win the second highest chase in women’s ODI history.
Mandhana gave India hope with an elegant 105 from 109 balls, but his dismissal in the 36th over effectively ended their chances of a consolation victory. India lost their last seven wickets for 26 runs to be bowled out for 215 in the 46th over. Gardner saved her half-century to run through India’s middle and lower order and she finished with career-best ODI figures of 5 for 30.
India’s chase started on a bad note when Richa Ghosh, promoted to opener for the second consecutive match, was bowled for 2 by a low delivery from Megan Schutt.
Australia were uncharacteristically sloppy in the field, with Sutherland losing a return when Deol, in the 21st over, gave him a firm reply. His luck continued after sweeping Gardner straight to Schutt who dropped a keeper to deep square leg. Deol also successfully held off a weight decision from Sophie Molineux before being caught and knocked down by King, who had surprisingly been held back until the 28th.
It wasn’t a clinical performance, but Australia maintained their hold on India at home and continued their winning streak since a disappointing T20 World Cup.
Australia had already recovered from 78 for 4 after Sutherland became the first player from her country to score a women’s ODI century batting at No. 5 or lower. Openers Georgia Voll and Phoebe Litchfield made 58 runs in the powerplay before Reddy turned the match on its head with a prodigious lateral move that destroyed Australia’s formidable top order.
Reddy, 27, has played four ODIs since his debut against South Africa in June but was not selected in the first two matches in Brisbane. She made the most of her opportunity to finish with 4 for 26, the third best ODI figure by a visiting bowler in Australia. Their opening spell at eight was marked by the wickets of Voll, Litchfield, Perry and Beth Mooney to trigger a 4 for 20 collapse.
But his courageous efforts were undone by wayward bowling from India’s other fast bowlers and sloppy fielding. After being dropped in the 12th over, Sutherland cashed in to reach her second ODI century before being run out on the penultimate ball of the innings. She was well supported by half-centuries from Gardner – who was dropped twice – and McGrath.
Considering the intense conditions, where temperatures reached 40 degrees, Harmanpreet surprisingly chose to bowl. The gamble seemed to backfire with new bowlers Renuka Singh and Saima Thakor struggling to find an accurate line and length.
Hoping to cap off a memorable debut series, having made 46 not out and 101 in Brisbane, Voll’s confidence was evident after hitting Renuka for consecutive boundaries in the opener to set the tone.
Harmanpreet, in desperation, used her quick four, first turning to Titas Sadhu’s pace to no avail before Reddy stepped in in the ninth and immediately troubled Litchfield and Voll with a swing of dangerous length. Reddy was rewarded on the first delivery after the powerplay when she produced a superb inside delivery which removed Voll for 26 off 30.
Perry came in confident after her belligerent 105 from 75 balls in the second ODI, but she immediately came under pressure from Reddy whose big shout for lbw was turned down. But Reddy was not to be denied and she sent Litchfield around the wicket after producing a slim edge which was well caught by wicketkeeper Ghosh.
Reddy was on a roll and Australia had to modify their aggressive instincts. Perry was in survival mode as Reddy produced India’s first maiden of the series, in the 13th over, before bowling Perry over in his next over with a terrific delivery coming off the seam.
Reddy wasn’t done and she quickly got figures of 4 for 10 after dismissing Mooney with another brilliant delivery to propel India into the ascendancy. But she was ultimately tired after her unwavering spell of eight on the trot, looking understandably gassed as she left the field for a breather.
After a ten minute drinks break after the 20th, Sutherland and Gardner put their foot down and went wild as the match turned again. Gardner reached his first ODI half-century since July last year before Sutherland hit the backend to add to his Test double century against South Africa on the same ground earlier in the year.