India Women vs Australia Women, 3rd ODI 2025: A Battle of Brilliance, Heartbreak & Hopes Ahead

On September 20, 2025, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, India Women hosted Australia Women in the decider of their three-match ODI series. With pride, World Cup preparations, and bragging rights on the line, what unfolded was a riveting match that showcased dominance, individual brilliance, and the gap that still separates two formidable sides.

Setting the Stage

This wasn’t just another ODI. It was India’s final match before the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup begins. The opportunity to beat Australia in a full ODI series for the first time added extra weight. Australia, always dangerous, had already shown flashes of their immense depth in this series. For India, the match offered both a chance to assert themselves and a litmus test for what lies ahead.

Also notable: India wore pink jerseys for this match in support of breast cancer awareness, turning the occasion into something of social significance as well. 

Australia Women’s Batting: A Statement

Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. They made a massive statement — amassing 412 all out in 47.5 overs. The innings was full of depth, power, intelligent shot choices, and partnerships that wore down the Indian bowling attack.

Some standout performances:

• Beth Mooney was the star. She scored an explosive 138 off 75 balls, with 23 fours and a six. Her strike rate neared 184 — sheer hitting and relentless aggression that pushed the score through the ceiling. 
• Ellyse Perry played her characteristic rollicking innings: 68 off 72. While not as fast as Mooney, her innings came at critical times, helping to build on platforms and keep the momentum. 
• The opening and top-order contributions mattered: Georgia Voll scored 81 off 68, showing that Australia’s strength isn’t just in its star players but also in those supporting roles. Alyssa Healy got 30 off 18 — a quick start. 
• On India’s side, bowlers tried hard. Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Sneh Rana put in expensive spells but took wickets at intervals. They were up against a batting order that was in red-hot form.

India’s Chase: Fireworks & Fade-outs

• Chasing 413 is never easy. India’s reply was always going to be an uphill battle. Still, this match wasn’t short of drama.
• Smriti Mandhana exploded in form. Her innings of 125 off just 63 balls with blistering boundaries (17 fours, 5 sixes) gave India hope of pulling off something remarkable. 
• Harmanpreet Kaur also contributed well, scoring 52 off 35 balls. Her experience and ability to take on the Australian bowlers was evident. 
• However, despite brisk starts, India suffered from a lack of sustained partnerships after the top order. Losses at crucial stages — run-outs, tight bowling spells from Australia — kept chipping away at India’s hopes. By 35.1 overs, India were 299/7, still needing more than a hundred runs and with only a few overs in hand. 

Turning Points & Pressure Moments

Several moments tilted the game:

• Mooney’s carnage: When one batter is scoring at near 200 strike rate, it changes the pressure entirely. India’s bowlers had to rethink lengths and lines, which opened up opportunities for others like Voll, Perry, Gardner.
• Indian top-order’s burst & collapse: Mandhana’s blazing start raised hopes, but once she got out, the momentum slipped. The lack of support from later batters under pressure meant that the innings could never fully stabilize.
• Australia’s fielding and bowling under pressure: Facing an aggressive Indian chase, Australia didn’t crack. They held tight in the field. Bowlers like Georgia Wareham, Grace Harris, Kim Garth (though with mixed success) gave breakthroughs at moments that mattered.
• Partnership vs wickets: India’s chase depended heavily on long partnerships. When those didn’t materialize—after Mandhana fell, and as wickets fell in clusters—Australia steadily seized control.

What This Means for India & Australia

For Australia, the result reinforces why they are among the best in women’s cricket. Deep batting, ability to accelerate, and picking wickets even when under pressure. This performance will boost confidence ahead of the World Cup. Their capacity to post 400+ and defend with composure is a dangerous trait to have.

For India, the match is a mixed bag:

• Positives: Mandhana’s form is scintillating. Their power-hitting is improving. Young players like some of the bowlers and batters had spells of good play. Wearing pink jerseys and doing this in front of a home crowd adds emotional weight. There is fight and potential.
• Areas to work: Middle order stability, handling pressure in big targets, death overs both in bowling and batting. Also dealing with a high scoring total – setting realistic goals when the target is gigantic.

Strategic Insights

• The toss to bat first worked for Australia; their depth meant they could post a huge total and put India on the back foot immediately.
• India’s strategy of attacking from the start via Mandhana worked, but after initial flurries, they needed calmness and rotation of strike. Australia’s bowlers exploited that.
• Spin versus pacers: Spinners tended to be more expensive, especially when Australia were set and just going for big shots. India might want to think about mixing bowlers more, changing pace/variation.
• Fielding & pressure moments: The run-out of Beth Mooney earlier in India’s chase, fielding at crucial times, tight catching etc., all litmus tests. Australia edged it here.

The Emotions & Crowd Factor

• Delhi’s crowd, wearing pink, cheering loud—it was more than just cricket. The atmosphere added pressure but also provided energy. India playing a socially conscious match (breast cancer awareness) gave it added weight, perhaps extra nerves.
• The heartbreak of expectation (“Could they chase 400+?”) mingled with pride (“Mandhana played a match-winning innings”) makes for conflicting emotions. That emotional component matters: players learn, rise or fall by how they respond.

Takeaways & Looking Forward

• India needs to build a deeper batting lineup so the pressure isn’t all on the top 2-3 batters. The lower middle order will be tested heavily in the World Cup; this match exposed vulnerabilities.
• Australia’s consistency is their hallmark. They showed they can put up humongous scores, and even when nerves might creep in, keep cool under pressure.
• Psychological edge: For India, even in defeat, this match could serve as a wake up—a reminder that in world-cup games, chasing humongous totals will happen, and handling starts + momentum shifts is critical.
• Fitness, fielding & depth will be key. World Cups are long; injuries, fatigue etc. matter. India will need more all-round contributions.

Final Thoughts

This match will be remembered for Mooney’s bludgeoning knock, Mandhana’s bravery, Australia’s overwhelming scoreboard dominance, and India’s battle, which ultimately fell short. While the margin of victory was substantial, in terms of lessons, character, and signals, India had their positives—and their gaps.

Australia leave Delhi with the series better, confidence high. India leave with much to reflect upon but also promise. The World Cup is just around the corner, and if India can iron out the chokepoints shown here, they have every chance to surprise big teams.

For fans and observers, this match is a reminder of what women’s cricket has become: high scoring, high drama, big personalities, and razor-thin margins between glory and regret.