Ahmedabad, Mar 12: India lost the opening game of the three-match ODI series to Australia by 30 runs at the Sardar Patel Stadium here.

Australia posted 227 runs for the loss of eight wickets after opting to bat first. Although Rumeli Dhar removed opener Leah Poulton early, Rachel Haynes and Meg Lanning added 84-runs for the second wicket. Ekta Bisht, the most economical of the India bowlers (30 runs off 10 overs), then claimed the wicket of Meg Lanning (45 off 44) who was cruising towards a half-century. Reema Malhotra followed up with the wicket of Haynes in the next over while Alex Blackwell was run out by India skipper Anjum Chopra with the visitors at 117 for four. Jodie Fields then scored an unbeaten 64 off as many balls to take Australia to a competitive total.

Medium pacer Dhar, who also claimed Lisa Sthalekar, Jess Jonassen and Erin Osborne, finished with a four-for while Bisht and Malhotra took a wicket apiece.

Chasing 228, India got off to a slow start, losing opener Sulakshana Naik in the 12th over with just 35 runs on the board. A few overs later, after Sthalekar dismissed Chopra, India lost Mithali Raj, Poonam Raut and Dhar in quick succession and were reeling at 77 for five. Though Harmampreet Kaur put up a fight with a valiant 57 runs, she could not see the team through. The Australian bowlers choked India for runs while picking wickets at regular intervals.

Sthalekar and Ellyse Perry picked two wickets each while Julie Hunter, Sharon Millanta and Jonassen took one apiece.

Brief scores: Australia 227/8 in 50 overs (J Fields 64*, M Lanning 45, R Haynes 41, R Dhar 4/53) beat India 197/8 in 50 overs (H Kaur 57, P Raut 36, J Goswami 33, L Sthalekar 2/25, E Perry 2/36) by 30 runs