Australia beat India by six wickets in the first Women's ODI in Brisbane, with fifties from Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney, and Ashleigh Gardners 3-33 sealing a 1-0 series lead despite Mandhana and Harmanpreet's efforts.
Sophie Molineux has recovered from a back injury and will captain Australia at the women's Twenty20 World Cup in England. Australia will aim for a record-extending seventh title after losing in the semi-finals in 2024.
Sophie Molineux will take over as Australia's all-formats captain after Alyssa Healy retires at the end of the upcoming home series against India.
Australia's batters provided their experienced bowling unit with sufficient runs to defend on a slow wicket and register a comprehensive 60-run win over New Zealand in the Women's T20 World Cup in Sharjah on Tuesday.
Deepti Sharma is the first Indian cricketer -- male or female -- to reach the landmark of 150 wickets in T20 Internationals.
India opener Smriti Mandhana has risen to the top of the ICC Women's ODI Batting Rankings.
Schutt (3/12) also equalled South Africa's Shabnim Ismail's record scalp of 43 wickets across all editions of T20 World Cup.
After being outplayed in the first two ODIs, the Indian women's cricket team will aim to address their batting weaknesses and salvage some pride against a dominant Australian side in the third and final ODI in Hobart.
India put up a dismal show with the bat as Australia stamped their superiority over the visitors with a five-wicket win in the first Women's ODI in Brisbane on Thursday.
Mandhana dropped one spot to second after totalling 115 runs across the three matches against England.
Star batter Beth Mooney struck a magnificent hundred and led a remarkable Australian fightback along with tailender Alana King to set up a crushing 107-run win over Pakistan in their ICC World Cup match, in Colombo, on Wednesday.
Healy's injury forces Australia rethink ahead of Women's World Cup clash against England
Top-order batter Georgia Redmayne and fast bowler Stella Campbell received their maiden call-ups.
After a disappointing loss in the first ODI, the Indian women's cricket team aims for a stronger batting performance in the second match against Australia to keep the series alive. Australia leads the three-match series after winning the first match by six wickets.
Clobbered by Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana recently, Australian pacer Megan Schutt says she hates playing against India and doesn't want to bowl at the marauding duo during powerplay when the two teams clash in the Women's T20 World Cup final, in Sydney on Sunday. Schutt, who took a crucial 2/17 in Australia's five-run win over South Africa in the rain-hit semi-final on Thursday, has still not recovered from the drubbing she got at the hands of Verma in the tournament-opener.
Leg-spinner Alana King's spellbinding wizardry formed the cornerstone of Australia's seven-wicket triumph over South Africa as the defending champions concluded the Women's World Cup league stage firmly on top of the table in Indore on Saturday.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur led the way with a doughty 68 as a dominant India outclassed Sri Lanka by 15 runs in the fifth T20I to complete a 5-0 series sweep.
Deepti Sharma created a new record in women's cricket, while Shafali Verma smashed a blistering half-century as India thrashed Sri Lanka by eight wickets to seal the five-match T20I series 3-0.
Backed by the pace of Annabel Sutherland and spin of Sophie Molineux, who has shaped up well for the slow sub-continent wickets, Australia will take the match against Pakistan to further streamline their strategy before taking on tougher teams like England, India and South Africa in the competition.
Sutherland, Gardner sparkle as Australia outplay England by six wickets
The four dropped catches let Australia, who would be India's toughest opponents apart from England in the women's World Cup scheduled later this month, off the hook and they managed to finish the task of chasing 281 runs in double-quick time.
India will search for a spark of magic reminiscent of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur's legendary knock eight years ago as they take on the mighty Australia in the World Cup semi-final on Thursday.
After being outplayed in the opener, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team roared back with a stunning 102-run victory, which was Australia's heaviest defeat in terms of runs. It was also India's first win over them in 12 matches.
'Her flair, the areas and pockets she hits to in the ground, I think she plays really well in Australian conditions.'
Smriti Mandhana's second-fastest hundred in women's ODIs went in vain as India's quest for a world-record chase in the series-deciding third game against Australia ended in a 43-run defeat, in New Delhi on Saturday.
Defending champions Australia delivered a commanding performance to bowl out Pakistan for 82 and then cruised to a nine-wicket victory, virtually sealing a spot in the women's T20 World Cup semifinals, in Dubai on Friday.
Champions New Zealand have three members in the world team announced by the ICC on Monday, including 12th player Eden Carson, while runners-up South Africa also have three.
India were served well by their top order batters with each of them hitting their stride to make significant contributions, even as the middle order players did not get going.
Richa Ghosh's exploits during the side's run to the semis of the Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa earned her a place
Australia have now made it to the semi-finals of the global T20 tournament in all its nine editions held so far since 2009 in England.
Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy struck unbeaten half-centuries as defending champions Australia thrashed Sri Lanka by 10 wickets to virtually qualify for the semi-finals of the women's T20 World Cup, in Gqeberha, South Africa, on Thursday.
India's teen sensation Shafali Verma moved up a rung to regain her position at the top of the ICC Women's T20I rankings for batters while her opening partner Smriti Mandhana dropped a spot to fourth.
Opener Georgia Voll (101) and Ellyse Perry (105) smashed commanding centuries as Australia secured a series-clinching 122-run win over India in the second women's ODI.
Delhi Capitals will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Women's Premier League (WPL) opener in Mumbai on Sunday.
Australia began their Women's T20 World Cup title defence on a resounding note
Shafali Verma (744 points) had grabbed the top spot at the end of the league stage of the just-concluded women's T20 World Cup in Australia which the hosts won for an unprecedented fifth time.
Chasing a stiff target, the formidable Australian opening pair of skipper Alyssa Healy and Mooney gave Australia the start it needed, adding 73 runs in just under nine overs.
The players' auction ahead of the 2024 edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) will be held on December 9 in Mumbai, the BCCI announced on Friday.
Megan Schutt is upset with her male counterparts James Pattinson and Marcus Stoinis' recent homophobic slurs.
India's batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, spinner Ravi Bishnoi and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh also feature in ICC T20I Team of the Year for 2023.
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