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Carey debuts as Aussies face India

Allrounder Nicola Carey gets the nod to join Australia's XI with India forced into late change as illness hits captain Mithali Raj

Allrounder Nicola Carey will make her international debut against India in the first one-day international in Vadodara, while Beth Mooney has also earned an ODI recall.

India won the toss and elected to bat first, but have been struck a huge blow with captain Mithali Raj ruled out due to illness, with vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur stepping up as skipper.

Congrats Nic Carey, ODI cap No. 137! 👏 pic.twitter.com/w3ztTqJt3W

— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@SouthernStars) March 12, 2018

Australia have made three changes to the most recent one-day XI they fielded during the Ashes last October, led by the return of captain Meg Lanning after a seven-month absence due to shoulder surgery.

Opening batter and back-up 'keeper Beth Mooney comes into the XI in place of Elyse Villani who appears to be the unlucky victim of the need for Australia to fit in the in-form Queenslander, after Mooney scored a rapid century in Australia's first warm-up game last week and who was in red-hot form throughout the summer.

Mooney will come in at No.5, while Carey slots into the place left open by injured allrounder Tahlia McGrath who was ruled out of the tour due to stress fractures.

Carey, who was presented with ODI cap No.137 by vice-captain Rachael Haynes before play, got the nod ahead of fellow spin-bowling allrounder Sophie Molineux and quick Belinda Vakarewa, who struggled with a stomach issue in the days leading up to the match.

The selection problems posed by Australia's wealth of batting talent was also a major talking point in the lead-up to the Ashes.

Then, it was Mooney who made way, as Australia looked to bolster their bowling attack with an extra allrounder. But her incredible form during the T20I series, where she played as a specialist batter and scored 87no and 117no, combined with her form throughout the home summer, has been enough for her to force her way back into the one-day team.

While Villani had an outstanding domestic summer in both the WNCL and Rebel WBBL, she as a below-par Ashes campaign across all three formats, 95 runs at 13.57 in seven matches with a high score of 38 in the opening ODI in Brisbane.

Australia coach Matthew Mott confirmed on Sunday that the selectors were committed to keeping an extra bowling option in the XI, a shift that was made to their team balance following their World Cup semi-final defeat to India last July.

Centurion Mooney makes most of warm-up

"We are blessed with a number of all-round options now," Mott said. "We knew going into that World Cup that one way or another, our team balance wasn't quite right.

"I think the best teams just evolve and learn from their mistakes and that's something we've done well and did extremely well against England.

"There are opportunities for some of the allrounders to step up in this series, we've picked a number of players who are in good form from the WBBL and we go in with a lot of confidence.

"India are definitely up against a team I feel will respond better to the sort of pressure they put on us in the semi-final.

"With a bit of luck we'll be able to show that in the next three games out here."

Commonwealth Bank Tour of India

Australia ODI squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Belinda Vakarewa, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington

Australia T20 squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Naomi Stalenberg, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington

India ODI squad: Mithali Raj (Captain), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Smriti Mandhana, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Veda Krishnamurthy, Mona Meshram, Sushma Verma, Ekta Bisht, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shikha Pandey, Sukanya Parida, Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma

England T20I squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Kate Cross, Alice Davidson-Richards, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Katie George, Jenny Gunn, Alex Hartley, Danielle Hazell, Amy Jones, Anya Shrubsole, Bryony Smith, Nat Sciver, Fran Wilson, Danni Wyatt

Warm-up match Australia beat India A by 321 runs. Report

Warm-up match Australia beat India A by seven wickets. Report

ODI series

First ODI Reliance Stadium, Vadodara, March 12

Second ODI Reliance Stadium, Vadodara, March 15

Third ODI Reliance Stadium, Vadodara, March 18

T20I tri-series

First T20I Australia v India, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 22

Second T20I Australia v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 23

Third T20I India v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 25

Fourth T20I Australia v India, Brabourne Stadium, March 26

Fifth T20I Australia v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 28

Sixth T20I India v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 29

Final Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 31