Australia beat India to record second highest chase in women's ODI history

Australia chased the second-highest run in women's ODI history en route to record a six-wicket victory over India at the Wankhede Stadium.

Rising stars Phoebe Lichfield, who scored 78 off 89 balls, and Ellyse Perry (75 off 72 balls) set up Australia's successful chase as India were bowled out for 282 for eight in Mumbai on Thursday (Friday AEDT).

Sparkling Tahlia McGrath (68 not out from 55 balls) and Beth Mooney (42 from 47 balls) rubber-stamped Australia to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series with 21 balls to spare and seek some revenge for their opening match. Test loss to India last week.

The single highest successful chase in women's ODIs was Australia's 289 for six against New Zealand at North Sydney Oval in 2012.

The visitors' reply got off to a poor start when their captain, Alyssa Healy, fell for a run on the third ball of the innings, brilliantly caught by a diving love runner. Perry went on the attack immediately after coming in for a second wicket stand of 148 runs with Lichfield.

Perry eventually departed, dropping Deepti Sharma to Pooja Bhastrakar at long-off, before Lichfield missed a sweep and was bowled by the runner. McGrath and Mooney put on an 88-run stand for the fourth wicket to end any hope of an upturn in the Indian wicket.

Muni was bowled at the finish line by Bhastrakar but McGrath made three 50s seven days before, fittingly, Rana hit his 11th boundary to seal victory.

Earlier, Jemimah Rodrigues caught Bay in a physical fight to make 82 off 77 balls in hot, humid conditions while Vastrakar's lower-order power lifted India to their highest score in a women's ODI against Australia.
After cheap dismissals of Shefali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur, India staggered from 57 for three to 182 for seven, helped by Yastika Bhatia's 49, before Rodriguez and Vastrakar put on a brilliant eighth-wicket stand of 68.

Australia have never lost a bilateral women's ODI series to India.