Win Projections to be updated soon
Chandigarh, 13 September 2025:
India and Australia will use their upcoming three-match ODI series to sharpen preparations for next month’s Women’s ODI World Cup.
For India, the challenge comes with the added incentive of facing the defending champions, while Australia get the chance to acclimate early to subcontinent conditions.
India have won nine of 11 ODIs this year, including a series win in England in July, and enter with confidence. But Australia have held the upper hand, winning 12 of their past 13 ODIs against India since Harmanpreet Kaur’s famous knock in the 2017 World Cup semifinal. India were swept 3-0 in their last two bilateral series against Australia and have lost four of their last five ICC tournament meetings, including last year’s T20 World Cup semifinal.
“No doubt, they [Australia] have been very dominating. They have played well all over the world and dominated,” India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said. “But we are also at a stage where, as a captain, we have the belief we can beat them on any day. The processes in the last one and a half years have been good, we have improved quite a lot. Even in England, we beat one of their best sides. These show that we are on the right track.”
Australia, who last played ODIs in January when they swept England in the Women’s Ashes, will rely on a settled core — 10 members of their 2022 World Cup squad return — and their remarkable consistency. They have lost only three of 28 ODIs since lifting the 2022 trophy.
“This is the most stable Indian team I’ve seen and I think they’re in a really good place heading into this World Cup,” Australia captain Alyssa Healy said. “The rivalry continues to grow. I know how much they love beating Australia and I know how good they are in their home conditions and that’s really a challenge for us. I think it’s going to be a really enjoyable, hard-fought series.”
Healy has battled a string of injuries over the past year but returned to form with Australia A, scoring 91 and an unbeaten 137 in a recent white-ball series against India A. She confirmed left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux is back in the squad but “not quite ready for the ODI format.”
India are likely to rely on spin through Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana and N. Sree Charani, with Renuka Singh leading the pace attack on her return from injury.
This will be the first international match at the New Chandigarh Stadium, which has hosted 11 IPL games in the past two years. Showers are possible on Sunday afternoon, though the rest of the day is expected to remain clear.
Probable XIs:
India: Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, N. Shree Charani, Kranti Goud, Renuka Singh.
Australia: Alyssa Healy (captain, wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ash Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt.
