Big Test For India's Batters Against Mighty Australia In Three-Match Series

India will aim to address their batting inconsistency in the upcoming women's ODI series against the mighty Australia, starting here Thursday, aiming to finalise their combination ahead of the Women's World Cup next year. The Indian team heads Down Under after securing a 2-1 home ODI series win over New Zealand. However, it was fairly evident that India's batting was not in top shape. In a bid to rejig stuff the tourists have dropped out-of-form opener Shafali Verma from the squad. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side would know that it has a huge task cut out against Australia who have historically dominated them in 50-overs cricket.

Their record Down Under is dismal, with just four wins out of sixteen WODIs. In the last series in 2021, Australia defeated India 2-1 in the three-match contest.

The series will give skipper Kaur and coach Amol Majumdar a perfect opportunity to bolster their preparations for the ODI World Cup at home next year.

On the other hand, Australia will be without regular skipper Alyssa Healy, who is nursing a knee injury. Additionally, the hosts have not played in this format for the past nine months and will be aiming to shake off the rust.

For India, the experienced Smriti Mandhana will bear the responsibility of providing a solid start with the bat.

Apart from the two single digit scores, the flamboyant opener has been in fine form this year, scoring 448 runs at an impressive average of around 75 in her last six ODIs.

Kaur's form will be a significant concern for India, as the explosive batter has struggled with consistency this year. With much at stake, her captaincy and batting have come under scrutiny following India's early exit from the T20 World Cup.

Additionally, she will face increased pressure