Aussies confident in their record as India eye world domination

India have already secured one of Australia's former crowns – now, they have arrived in Sydney brimming with confidence and with a chance to stake a claim as the superior all-format team.

Sunday's opening T20I at the SCG will be the first meeting between the fierce rivals since India stunned the Aussies in last year's ODI World Cup semi-final, knocking the tournament favourites out before claiming their maiden senior women's ICC title.

In the aftermath of that triumph, senior India players including Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana declared they were not content with one trophy, and instead had world domination in their sights.

Knocking off Australia – who remain the world's top-ranked team across both white-ball formats (no Test rankings exist for the women) – on their home soil would be a serious tick in that 'world domination' box.

"We are really working hard to achieve all our targets," Kaur said in Sydney on Saturday.

"Winning the (ODI) World Cup was one of them, so we are on the right track.

"We're just working really hard, and hopefully we'll keep bringing our best whenever we play.

"We know (Australia) are very strong.

"We have seen they've been playing really good cricket for such a long time.

"One thing is very clear, whenever you go with a great mindset and a good, positive approach, you can always bring your best."

The multi-format series format, which comprises three T20Is, three ODIs and a singular Test, is arguably the ultimate challenge in the women's game, with teams having to switch between formats in quick succession across the next three weeks.

Australia took out the only previous points-based series between the sides 11-5 at home in 2021. Their all-format tour to India in 2023 did not have an overall trophy attached, but had points been awarded, they would have walked away 10-6 victors.

To date, India have won just one series in Australia, a three-game T20I series a decade ago, in 2016. On their most recent visit for an ODI series in late 2024, they went down 0-3.

However, the team long regarded as the 'sleeping giant' of the women's game have arrived in Sydney fresh off the Women's Premier League with an injection of confidence, and will face an Australian team in transition, with new captain Sophie Molineux to lead the T20I side while outgoing skipper Alyssa Healy plays her farewell series in the ODIs and Test.

"The WPL has played really big role to improve our women's cricket," Kaur said.

"It's good to see that everybody is in good touch, because we all know before the (upcoming) T20 World Cup, every series is very important for us.

"Multi-format series are always very exciting.

"We're really looking forward for that because playing T20 and ODI is always great, but Tests are something we always want to play, and a pink-ball Test match is always going to be very exciting."

While India undoubtedly loom as the biggest threat to Australia's position as the world's top-ranked team, Molineux believes the hosts remain on the right track despite semi-final losses in their last two ICC events.

She pointed to Australia's strong overall record across that period, which has seen them lose just six out of 50 matches across all formats since the start of 2024.

"I don't think it's big changes," Molineux said on Saturday when asked what Australia needed to do to stay ahead of the chasing pack.

"I don't think any of us think that.

"It's probably really small things that you have to keep evolving as the game does around you.

"There's definitely some learnings to have been had from those (losses) … but we're in a really lucky and fortunate (place), we've got generational talent at both ends of their careers in Phoebe Lichfield and Annabel Sutherland, then Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt as well at the other end and everything in between.

"It's about bringing that all together and fine tuning the way we want to play."

NRMA Insurance Australia v India Multi-Format Series

Australia T20I squad: Sophie Molineux (c), Ashleigh Gardner (vc), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

 

India T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Renuka Thakur, Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Uma Chetry, Arundhati Reddy, Amanjot Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Bharti Fulmali, Shreyanka Patil

February 15: First T20, SCG, 7:15pm AEDT

February 19: Second T20, Manuka Oval, Canberra, 7:15pm AEDT

February 21: Third T20, Adelaide Oval, 7:15pm AEDT

Australia ODI squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Sophie Molineux (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

 

India ODI squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Renuka Thakur, Sree Charani, Vaishnavi Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Kashvee Gautam, Amanjot Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Uma Chetry, Harleen Deol

February 24: First ODI, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 2:50pm AEDT

February 27: Second ODI, Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 2:50pm AEDT

March 1: Third ODI, Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 2:50pm AEDT

Australia Test squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Sophie Molineux (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

 

India Test squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Sneh Rana, Amanjot Kaur, Uma Chetry, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, Sayali Satghare

March 6-9: Test match, WACA Ground, 4:20pm AEDT (D/N)