Mumbai, Mar 16: Australia restricting India to just 175 runs, and reached the target with 14.2 overs to spare, sweeping the ODI series at the Wankhede Stadium 3-0.

Opting to bat first, the hosts lost opener Sulakshana Naik with just four runs on the board. The previous match between the two sides saw Ellyse Perry putting the hosts on the back-foot; this time around it was quick bowler Julie Hunter who dealt early blows with the openers’ wickets. The Indians tried to negotiate Perry’s overs with caution but in her sixth over, the pacer bowled Mithali Raj to leave India on 30 for three.

Anjum Chopra and Harmanpreet Kaur (63), however, ensured that India didn’t head into another batting collapse, putting together an 85-run partnership. The India skipper played a watchful knock, scoring 31 off 100 balls, until she was run out by Perry looking for an ambitious second run. Ten runs later, Kaur departed after handing a catch to Jess Jonassen at short fine-leg off Lisa Sthalekar. Erin Osborne then followed up with the wicket of Jhulan Goswami a few overs later bringing Nooshin Al-Khadeer (16) to the crease.

Reema Malohtra, who had replaced Chopra in the middle, chipped in with 22 runs before nicking Perry to Fields. She was soon followed back by debutant Subhlaxmi Sharma. Jonassen, who claimed Sharma, then uprooted Khadeer’s off-stump off the last delivery of the same over. India added six runs in the last over to finish with 175 for nine with Ekta Bisht remaining not out on six and Gouhar Sultana, on one.

Defending 176 runs, Sharma trapped Alyssa Healy lbw and then sent back Australia’s centurion of the previous game, Meg Lanning, for 11 to give India two early breakthroughs. But opener Rachel Haynes (42) stitched a 67-run partnership with Jess Cameron before being sent back by Ekta Bisht. In the next over, Malhotra bowled Alex Blackwell but Cameron continued to hit the bowlers all over the park. Lisa was the next to return to the pavilion, bowled for 11 by Nooshin.

Cameron, who reached her half-century with a six off Bisht, scored 90 off 87 balls (8x4, 4x6) and took Australia to victory with a six of Khadeer. Jodie Fields remained not out on 11.

One of the rare highs of the match for India was when off-spinner Nooshin, back in the squad after a two-years hiatus, claimed her 100th ODI wicket, Lisa Sthalekar.

Brief score: India 175/9 in 50 overs (H Kaur 63, A Chopra 31, J Hunter 2/28, J Jonassen 2/14, E Perry 2/32) lost to Australia 178/5 in 35.4 overs (J Cameron 90*, R Haynes 42) by five wickets