What’s at stake in IND-W vs AUS-W 1st ODI
Two heavyweight sides opened a three-match ODI series on September 14, 2025, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. The timing could not be more loaded: this is a live audition for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. India, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, get an early stress test at home against the defending champions, Australia, who rarely hand out easy minutes.
The series layout is simple: the first two ODIs in Mullanpur, the finale in New Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. That split matters. Mullanpur is a newer venue with big square boundaries and surfaces that can start tacky and quicken later. Delhi typically offers truer bounce but can bring evening dew into play. Teams will use both environments to probe combinations, roles, and death-overs plans before the World Cup’s sharper demands arrive.
India’s middle order is under the microscope. Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma sit at the heart of that conversation: one tasked with tempo and rotation, the other with glue and control. Richa Ghosh adds the power option, while Harmanpreet Kaur’s finishing rhythm is a bellwether for India’s ceiling. With the ball, Renuka Singh Thakur’s new-ball spell shapes a lot of the day. If she finds swing early, Australia’s powerplay could look very different.
Australia’s headline change is the inclusion of uncapped spinner Charli Knott as cover for Sophie Molineux, who is tracking directly toward a World Cup return. Knott’s presence deepens the spin mix alongside the established options and lets Australia toggle between attacking lengths and run-choking angles. Add the usual blend of set-piece batting—compact technique up top, multipurpose pace all-rounders in the middle—and you have the blueprint that has kept Australia at the front of the pack.
Recent numbers add an interesting wrinkle. Across their last ten ODI innings, India’s top-end batting spikes higher—an aggregate best of 435 and an average near 290 in that sample—while Australia’s high is 371 with an average closer to 223. Flip the lens and you see Australia’s floor is lower only once (93), while India’s bottom mark is 143. Translation: India have found taller peaks of late, Australia still bring a stubborn baseline. That tension usually decides series in South Asian conditions.
The toss matters here. Day games in early autumn can start slow off the surface, then even out with sun and traffic. Dew late has been known to make chasing easier in North India; equally, a dry afternoon can let wrist and finger spin dictate. Expect both captains to judge by grass cover and sheen: bat if it looks flat and true, bowl if there’s live grass or early stickiness.
How to watch, start time, pitch, and predicted XIs
Start time: 1:30 PM IST from Mullanpur. Toss scheduled around 1:00 PM IST. For fans outside India, here are quick conversions: 6:00 PM AEST (Sydney/Melbourne), 5:30 PM ACST (Adelaide), 4:00 PM AWST (Perth), 9:00 AM BST (UK), 4:00 AM EDT (US East).
TV and digital in India: the series is available on television via the rights-holding sports network and on the official digital feed. The broadcaster’s pre-match show begins roughly 30 minutes before the toss, with multilingual commentary options. The official mobile and web platform for live streaming is listed for this series as the JioHotstar app and website, featuring ball-by-ball commentary, highlights, and scorecards. On YouTube, several channels are running live audio commentary and score tickers for fans who want an open-tab experience.
Quick viewing tips: update your streaming app before the match, use a stable Wi‑Fi connection (10 Mbps or higher for HD), close background downloads, and avoid switching networks mid-over. If you see buffering at peak times, toggle to “Auto” quality or drop one tier to maintain smooth playback.
Venue read: Mullanpur’s square boundaries are sizable, straight is a touch shorter, and the outfield has improved pace as the venue matures. Expect a 260–280 par score to feel competitive if there’s grip for spinners; if the surface stays hard and even, 300 is in play. Pacers who hit a hard length can get lift with the new ball; later on, cutters into the pitch tend to work. Dew risk increases toward dusk, especially if humidity holds.
Weather hint: a warm, slightly humid afternoon with a small chance of late showers typical for the region at this time of year. Any passing cloud cover could help the ball swing for the first dozen overs.
India Women squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, Richa Ghosh, Kranti Gaud, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia, Sneh Rana.
Australia Women squad: Alyssa Healy’s group includes uncapped spinner Charli Knott as cover for Sophie Molineux, who is earmarked to return at the World Cup. The usual core features top-order anchors, seam-bowling all-rounders, and a leg-spin option for middle-overs control.
Predicted XI – India Women: Smriti Mandhana, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol, Sneh Rana, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy.
Predicted XI – Australia Women: Alyssa Healy (c, wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Alana King, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown, Kim Garth. Bench options to watch: Georgia Wareham for an extra leg-spin angle, Charli Knott for a debut if conditions suit.
Match-ups to track: Renuka Singh Thakur’s new-ball spell against Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield—if she swings it away, slip comes into play immediately. India’s off-spin and leg-spin combo versus Beth Mooney’s sweep game. Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh against Australia’s cutters at the death, especially Darcie Brown’s heavy length. For Australia, Annabel Sutherland’s cross-seam into the pitch at Mullanpur can be a handful if there’s two-pace.
Tactical levers: India may push Jemimah Rodrigues up one spot if early wickets fall, preserving Harmanpreet for overs 30–45. Deepti Sharma’s bowling timing will be key—slip her in soon after the powerplay to test Australia’s reset overs. Australia can hold back Ash Gardner’s overs for Mandhana and Harmanpreet, then switch to Alana King for right-hand match-ups. Expect Australia to ring-fence singles with a 5–4 off-side for India’s middle order and tempt the big hit against the longer square boundary.
Form snapshot: India’s recent batting spikes came with aggressive use of the middle overs—hard running plus selective boundary bursts. The flip side is collapse risk when seamers find grip. Australia’s hallmark is consistency: a deep batting chart with three bowling plans per phase. Even when the top fails, they tend to bat to eight, which blunts collapse spirals.
Series schedule note: with two matches in Mullanpur before shifting to Delhi, teams will likely rotate one pacer and one spinner during the first two games to map roles for World Cup workloads. Expect at least one experimental batting shuffle, especially at No. 6–7 for India and at No. 5–7 for Australia.
If you’re keeping score at home, pencil these thresholds: 50/1 after 10 overs is par for batting sides here; 120–140 by the 25th over sets up a 270+ finish; anything under 230 puts heavy pressure on bowlers unless the pitch grips. Also watch for direct-hit run-outs—Mullanpur’s wide square makes twos tempting and risky.
