Explained: Why Smriti Mandhana is not playing the first India-Australia Women’s ODI
Smriti Mandhana is missing the first ODI of the three-match series between India and Australia, being played on December 28.
Fans were in with a surprise when India announced their XI for the first ODI of the 2023/24 series against Australia, being played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, who had batted brilliantly for her 74 and 38 not out when India beat Australia at Test cricket for the first time last week, was not part of the side.
The official commentators clarified that Mandhana had been “indisposed”. In a tweet, the BCCI confirmed that she was “unwell” and thus “not available for selection”.
🚨 Team News
Saika Ishaque makes her ODI debut.
A look at our Playing XI 🔽
Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/MDbv7Rm75J
𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: #TeamIndia vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is unwell and hence, was not available for selection for the 1st #INDvAUS ODI.@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/syVIXpUfIe
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 28, 2023
India drafted Amanjot Kaur into their XI, and gave a maiden ODI cap to Saika Ishaque, who had impressed on T20I debut against England. Yastika Bhatia, India’s designated wicketkeeper ahead of Richa Ghosh, opened batting with Shafali Verma in Mandhana’s absence.
Australia hold a 40-10 lead over India in ODIs, but Mandhana is among a handful of batters who has thrived against them. Of Indians with more runs against Australia, no one has an ODI strike rate to match Mandhana’s 96, while only Harmanpreet Kaur (51.18) has a better average than her 39.18. She will almost certainly be missed here, and there is still no update on her participation in the second ODI.
At the time of writing, India were 36-1 after seven overs after opting to bat. They had lost Verma to Darcie Brown.
India XI: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh Thakur, Saika Ishaque
Australia XI: Alyssa Healy (c & wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Ash Gardner, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Alana King, Darcie Brown
Subscribe to the Wisden Cricket YouTube channel for post-match analysis, player interviews, and much more.
