Australia Beat India in ODI Despite Injury Blows & Harmanpreet Rescue Act

February 24, 2026 Alex Carter - Sports Editor Sport

Australia secured a victory over India in the first One Day International (ODI) despite facing injury setbacks to key players, with Ellyse Perry and Kim Garth ruled out of the match. The Australian bowlers effectively restricted India’s scoring after the injury news.

“It was pretty emphatic ” Australian batter Beth Mooney said after the match. “I was disappointed to get out with 12 runs to get and sending someone else out there, but that’s the sort of (aggressive) style of cricket we want to play moving forward.”

Both Perry and Garth sustained quad strains during Saturday’s T20 loss to India, according to a statement released by Cricket Australia. Fast bowler Megan Schutt, who was not originally named in the ODI squad, was subsequently called up. Schutt made an immediate impact, dismissing Pratika Rawal with the second ball of the innings, trapping her leg before wicket for a duck.

Darcie Brown further bolstered Australia’s strong start with a caught-and-bowled dismissal of Shafali Verma for four runs. The Australian spin attack, featuring Ashleigh Gardner, Alana King, and Sophie Molineux, maintained consistent pressure throughout the middle overs, collectively claiming crucial wickets and limiting India’s run rate.

Gardner finished with the best bowling figures for Australia, taking 3-33. However, all seven bowlers utilized by Australia contributed effectively to restricting the Indian batting lineup. Tahlia McGrath secured a significant breakthrough, dismissing the in-form Smriti Mandhana for 58 off 68 deliveries, with a catch taken deep fine leg.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur (53) and allrounder Kashvee Gautam (43) attempted to rebuild the innings after early setbacks. However, a brilliant diving catch by Georgia Voll dismissed Kaur, while Gardner’s quick thinking at the stumps resulted in a run-out of Gautam in the 49th over.

Gautam acknowledged that India’s total was insufficient but emphasized that the team’s performance did not signify a decline in their overall ability. “We can bounce back,” she stated.

Cricket Australia indicated that the availability of Perry and Garth for the upcoming one-off Test match at the conclusion of the ODI series will be reassessed based on their progress in rehabilitation.