Perth, Dec 11 (UNI) All-rounder Sutherland struck her second ODI century, while Gardner delivered a scintillating all-round performance to power Australia to a commanding 3-0 series sweep over India.
Smriti Mandhana’s counter-attacking century – her ninth in ODIs – provided a glimmer of hope for the hosts, but Gardner’s five-wicket haul (5/30) dismantled India’s chase, sealing an 83-run victory for the reigning world champions.
India seemed poised to overhaul the target at 189/3, but Gardner’s magical spell triggered a dramatic collapse, bundling out the visitors for 215.
Earlier, Australia faced early trouble after a stellar spell from Arundhati Reddy that left the home side reeling at 78/4. This, following a superb start from Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Voll.
Sutherland and Gardner then paved the way for a remarkable recovery, putting together a 96-run partnership for the fifth wicket, an ICC report said.
Gardner reached her sixth ODI half-century before falling to Deepti Sharma, but her efforts, combined with Tahlia McGrath’s unbeaten 56, helped Australia post a formidable total of 298/6.
Sutherland was the standout performer with the bat, crafting a composed 110 off 95 balls to anchor the innings. Her innings was composed of nine fours and four maximums.
Alongside McGrath, the 23-year-old stitched together a 122-run stand for the sixth wicket. One that turned out to be enough to clean sweep the three-match series.
With this win, Australia have cemented their place at the top of the ICC Women’s Championship standings, sitting comfortably on 34 points. They will now face New Zealand in their final three
games of the ongoing cycle and look on course to securing their third straight crown.
India remain third in the standings with six ODIs left to play – three each against West Indies and Ireland. To claim their maiden ICC Women’s Championship title, India not only need to win most of their remaining matches but also hope for favorable results from other fixtures.
Brief score: Australia Women: 298/6 (50.0)
India Women: 215 (45.1)
