India beat battered Aussies in thriller to snap ODI streak

A remarkable rear-guard effort from India's lower order has ended Australia's world record winning streak at 26 in the third CommBank ODI at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay.

Set 265 to win, India were in the box seat with 20 overs to play but fell apart dramatically, losing 5-48, with yet another teenaged fast bowler – this time Annabel Sutherland – playing a pivotal hand for the hosts at a crucial juncture.

But a fighting seventh-wicket stand between Deepti Sharma (34) and Sneh Rana (30) proved the decisive twist in what was another epic tale, the Indians getting home with just two wickets and three balls to spare to achieve their greatest-ever ODI run chase and breathe some life back into this multi-format series.

After Meg Lanning won the toss for the third straight game, Australia's innings began solidly enough thanks largely to Alyssa Healy (35), but a mini-collapse of 3-21 handed the advantage to India.

Veteran quick Jhulan Goswami was again the destroyer, bowling a double-wicket maiden that accounted for Rachael Haynes (13) and Lanning (0).

Haynes' return was one of three changes for Australia, who rested pace bowlers Darcie Brown and Hannah Darlington, and with Georgia Wareham nursing an injured quad, Sutherland came in for her first national cap in almost a year and Stella Campbell was handed an international debut.

Ellyse Perry (26) made her best contribution of the series to date but just as the right-hander looked to be settling in the middle, she picked out Deepti Sharma at point off Pooja Vastrakar.

The wicket brought Ashleigh Gardner to the middle alongside Mooney, and the pair produced the biggest partnership of the innings, their 98-run union for the fifth wicket allowing Australia to seize the advantage in the middle overs.

Mooney (52) picked up where she left off from Friday night, playing well all around the wicket, and Gardner (67) showcased her growing capabilities by playing the perfect hand for the situation.

The allrounder deposited a pair of sixes from off-spinner Rana (in for Poonam Yadav) over cover and then long-on, beating Mooney to her 50 with her first significant contribution of the series.

The Queenslander then reached her half-century with a well-struck swipe through midwicket for four but was out moments later, but another excellent hand from Tahlia McGrath (47 from 32) lifted Australia to a strong total.

The Australians also benefited from a poor fielding display from the tourists, who put down three simple chances to gift Mooney, Gardner and Nicola Carey lives. 

In reply, India's openers got off to another flying start as Perry again struggled with her lines, though the veteran allrounder was unlucky not to twice have Shafali Verma's wicket in the space of a few balls when she found both her inside and outside edges, only to see the ball fly away to the rope on both occasions.

As Smriti Mandhana (22) took on the role of aggressor, Verma played a more restrained hand, and the pair put together 59 before off-spinner Gardner enticed Mandhana to advance and look to loft straight, but the ball skied off the blade and Sutherland took an outstanding catch running back from cover.

But Verma and Yastika Bhatia kept the Indians very much on track, taking the score to 160 with a fine century stand, and with the equation reading 105 needed from 123 balls and nine wickets in hand, the tourists were in the box seat.

Worse was to come for Australia, as Haynes left the field with a right hamstring injury, and was followed soon after by Mooney with a similar issue.

Enter the ever-reliable Molineux, who snuck one through Verma, and when the elevated Richa Ghosh (0) picked out Gardner at midwicket in the following over, the Australians had come right back into the contest.

The wicket of Yastika (64), who has been superb in her maiden ODI series, was Campbell's first in international cricket, and she had sub fielder Molly Strano to thank courtesy of a quite spectacular diving catch at deep backward square leg.

A fascinating game of cat and mouse ensued between India veteran Mithali Raj and rookie quick Campbell, the former content to bide her time with a series of dot balls as she calculated how best to finally get one over this record-breaking Australian side.

The outstanding Sutherland then made her presence felt once again, knocking over Pooja Vastrakar, and the 19-year-old Victoria quick had three when Raj attempted an uncharacteristic heave across the leg side, only to be clean bowled for 16.

With 57 needed from 56 balls, it was a questionable shot from the Indian captain, and her departure meant the tourists were relying on their allrounders and tail to get them home, having lost 5-48 in 67 balls.

If the losses of Haynes and Mooney were able to be covered by the sub fielders, the same could not be said when Molineux joined them in the dugout after she was struck in the face by an errant bounce from a strong Campbell return from the boundary.

But the left-arm spinner got patched up and returned to the action, sporting a swollen face more in keeping with yesterday's AFL grand final than a cricket match.

She duly took the ball for the 45th over, but two dropped catches – a return chance by Molineux and one from Carey at square leg – added to a feeling that the momentum had swung back to India.

Sharma particularly looked up for the battle, with the diminutive left-hander finding the rope at key moments, while Rana had a life thanks to Carey's front-foot no-ball.

McGrath's return to the attack instantly reaped dividends for Australia, with Carey this time hanging onto a regulation chance at point to send Sharma on her way for a fine 31 from 30 balls.

From there Rana stepped up in style, hitting three fours from as many balls to close out the McGrath over and leave India needing just 10 from the final three overs.

As is becoming standard fare for this series, more drama followed.

After Molineux conceded just two from the 48th over, Rana (30 from 27) pulled a Carey delivery high and wide to deep backward square, where Hannah Darlington dove and took another splendid catch.

It left India needing four from the final over, with the responsibility falling to Molineux. And after a dot and a hastily run single, it was Goswami who finally delivered for India what was beginning to look impossible, lofting the ball hard, straight and to the rope to end Australia's incredible winning run.

CommBank Series v India

Australia lead India 4-0 on points

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Stella Campbell, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Redmayne, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

India Test and ODI squad: Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur (vc), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh, Ekta Bisht.

India T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Shikha Pandey, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh (wk), Harleen Deol, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh.

First ODI:Australia won by nine wickets

Sep 24: Australia won by five wickets

Sep 26: India won by two wickets

Sep 30 – Oct 3: Test match, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast (D/N)

Oct 7: First T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast

Oct 9: Second T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast

Oct 10: Third T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast