India spill seven catches as Aussies take unassailable ODI series lead
Australia has clinched the ODI leg of their multi-format series against India, taking a 2-0 lead in the three-game series with a tense three-run win in Mumbai.
Batting first, the Aussies put on 258 with both Phoebe Litchfield and Ellyse Perry making half centuries.
But it should have been far less. India were horrific in the field and dropped no less than seven catches.
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A heavy collision between Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar also saw the former concussion-subbed from the game and taken to hospital for complaining of a headache.
Phoebe Litchfield dives to take a catch to remove Jemimah Rodrigues. Getty
Litchfield was dropped three times, Perry and Annabel Sutherland once each, and Alana King twice. The dropped catches cost the hosts 110 runs.
In reply, first-drop Richa Ghosh looked to have the hosts cruising at 4-218, needing just 41 from 37 balls.
But when Litchfield held onto a ripping chance off Annabel Sutherland to remove the 20-year-old Ghosh for 96, it triggered a collapse of 4-25 that swung the momentum right back to the tourists.
Sutherland was once again thrown the ball in the final over, where India needed 16 to clinch the series.
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When Deepti Sharma smoked a boundary off the first ball, Indian spirits were up. But Sutherland kept a level head to concede just three singles – and a wide – in the next four balls to ensure the Indians needed an impossible eight runs off the final ball.
Shreyanka Patil played a lovely reverse sweep for four off the final ball, but it wasn't enough.
Sutherland, who finished with figures of 3-47 from nine overs to go with her 23 with the bat, was awarded player of the match.
"All the way, we held our nerve as much as possible," she said.
"It was pretty cool to have the chance to do that at the end.
Richa Ghosh slams her bat into the ground after she was dismissed by Annabel Sutherland for 96 in India's chase. Getty
"Nice that Midgey (captain Alyssa Healy) had faith in me and I was able to do the job."
Litchfield was dropped off just the second ball of the match when Amanjot Kaur spilled one at short extra cover.
Then in the fifth over, Smriti Mandhana grassed a half-chance diving forward at mid-off. Litchfield's third life came in the eighth over when Yastika Bhatia juggled a chance at first slip.
Perry's chance came when Rana put down a tough caught-and-bowled chance in the 17th over.
India seemed to clean up their catching act from there, holding onto three chances to remove Perry, Beth Mooney (10) and then Litchfield before the butter was reapplied to their hands.
The Aussies celebrating victory. Getty
Mandhana dropped her second chance of the innings when she dropped a sitter at midwicket that would've put Sutherland back in the sheds.
Alana King was then dropped twice in five balls – skipper Harmanpreet Kaur dropped one at midwicket, and then Deepti Sharma another towards the deep midwicket boundary – as she made a quickfire 28 off 17 balls.
The Aussies were far from perfect in their fielding performance – they dropped three chances, but thankfully held on to seal the win.
The final match in the ODI leg will take place on Tuesday, before they move into T20 mode and play three games at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.
