NewKerala.com

India Bat First vs Australia in 2nd ODI, Debut for Vaishnavi Sharma

India won the toss and chose to bat first in the second ODI against Australia in Hobart. The visitors handed an ODI debut to left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma as part of their bowling changes. Australia suffered a setback with all-rounder Sophie Molineux ruled out of the series due to a lower back injury. The multi-format series is currently level at 4-4 after Australia won the opening ODI.

Key Points: India Bat First in 2nd ODI vs Australia, Molineux Ruled Out

  • India win toss and bat first
  • Vaishnavi Sharma gets ODI debut
  • Sophie Molineux ruled out of series
  • Multi-format series tied at 4-4
2 min read

2nd ODI: Vaishnavi handed debut as India elect to bat against Australia, Molineux ruled out

India elect to bat in 2nd ODI. Vaishnavi Sharma debuts, Sophie Molineux ruled out with injury. Get playing XIs and match updates.

"I'm fine now, my left knee...while playing I just got a niggle. - Harmanpreet Kaur"

Hobart, Feb 27

India have won the toss and elected to bat first against Australia in the second ODI at the Bellerive Oval on Friday. The multi-format scoreline is currently tied at 4-4 after Australia won the first ODI at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

India have opted to rest Shafali Verma and Renuka Singh Thakur, with Amanjot Kaur included and left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma handed her ODI debut in a bid to bolster their bowling stocks.

For India, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who won her fifth straight toss in ODIs is fit to take the field after sitting out for India's entire fielding innings in Brisbane due to a left knee issue. "I'm fine now, my left knee...while playing I just got a niggle," she said.

Australia made one change - bringing in Nicola Carey, who is based in Hobart, for Sophie Molineux, who has been ruled out of the series due to a lower back injury. A statement from Cricket Australia (CA) said Sophie will be monitored ahead of Australia's tour of the West Indies next month.

It comes as a worrying aspect for Australia, as the injury-prone Sophie is set to take over as full-time skipper across all formats in the West Indies. "Getting first crack with the ball on a wicket with a little bit of live grass might help us out. We know if we get it right we can restrict them and its not an easy place to defend scores," said skipper Alyssa Healy.

Playing XIs

India: Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Amanjot Kaur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, N Sree Charani, Kranti Gaud, and Vaishnavi Sharma

Australia: Alyssa Healy (captain), Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll, Beth Mooney (wk), Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Nicola Carey, Alana King, Megan Schutt, and Darcie Brown

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good toss to win. Batting first on a fresh wicket is the right call. Captain Harmanpreet being fit is the biggest positive. Her presence on the field lifts the whole team. Let's put up a big total! 🇮🇳
A
Aman W
Molineux being out is a big break for us. She's a key player for them. Our bowling attack looks interesting with the new debutant. Hope the team management's gamble pays off. Jai Hind!
S
Sarah B
Interesting team selections on both sides. From a neutral perspective, India's batting depth seems a concern without Shafali's firepower at the top. Smriti and Jemimah will have to play big knocks.
K
Karthik V
The series is beautifully poised at 4-4! This match is crucial. I have faith in our women in blue. Let's support the new players like Vaishnavi instead of just criticizing the resting of seniors. They need our backing.
N
Nisha Z
Wishing Vaishnavi all the very best for her first cap! A dream come true moment. Hope she takes a wicket in her first spell. Also, Richa Ghosh behind the stumps is always a treat to watch. Go girls!

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50