Megan Schutt claimed a wicket with the second ball of the match as Australia began their One Day International series against India in Brisbane on Tuesday, despite losing key players Ellyse Perry and Kim Garth to quad strains.
Schutt’s early breakthrough set the tone for Australia’s defense, while Ashleigh Gardner later contributed with three wickets of her own. The pair’s performance came after Australia lost the toss and elected to field first at Allan Border Field.
The injuries to Perry and Garth were confirmed by Cricket Australia on Tuesday afternoon, sustained during Saturday night’s third T20I loss to India in Adelaide. Perry, who played her 350th international match in that defeat, and Garth will have their fitness reassessed as their rehabilitation progresses, with their availability for next month’s Test match at the WACA uncertain.
Australia have called up Megan Schutt and Lucy Hamilton as replacements for the injured pair. Alyssa Healy will captain the side for the ODI series and the subsequent Test match, with Beth Mooney taking over wicketkeeping duties. Healy’s deputy will be Sophie Molineux, who previously captained the team during the T20 series.
Ashleigh Gardner, an all-rounder who represents Recent South Wales and the Sydney Sixers domestically, has been a consistent performer for Australia, having made her WODI debut in 2017 against New Zealand and her WT20I debut against the same opposition later that year. She also earned her first WTest cap in 2019 against England.
