India W v Aus W: Nicole Bolton's hundred hands Australia an eight-wicket win in the first ODI

Updated - 12 Mar 2018, 04:20 PM

Nicole Bonton played an outstanding knock as Australia beat India in first ODI. Credit: Getty Images

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Australia banked Nicole Bolton’s unbeaten hundred to hand the host a humiliating loss. Australia won the match with eight wickets in hand and 117 balls to spare. Meanwhile, the visitors go 1-0 up in the ODI series which is a part of ICC Championship.

Batting first India posted a moderate target 200 in their quota of 50 overs. However, they missed their regular skipper Mithali Raj as India’s middle-order collapsed. Although, Smriti Mandhana and Punam Raut provided India with a good start. The pair added 38 runs in 9 overs before Mandhana departed at the score 12. Meanwhile, Mandhana will be livid with herself for not capitalising the start.

The middle-order failed miserably as Amanda Wellington, and Jess Jonassen rattled the batting line-up. The duo returned with seven wickets to their name. However, it was the lower-order to helped India touch the 200-run mark.

Sushma Verma and Pooja Vastrakar stitched a 76-run partnership to help India post a challenging total. Pooja brought her maiden half-century while Sushma added 41 runs as India posted 200 at the end of fifty overs.

Meanwhile, in reply, Australia looked in total control of the game. The opening pair added 60 runs in just nine overs before Alyssa Healy departed after scoring 38 runs off just 29 balls. Skipper Meg Lanning then joined Nicole Bolton, who was playing a gem of a knock.

The pair then added 68 runs for the second wicket before Lanning (33) got out via a runout from Veda Krishnamurthy. Indian bowlers looked all over the place in front of a calm and composed Bonton, who paced her innings perfectly. She brought up her fourth ODI hundred as Australia reached the target with ease.

India was badly hurt by injury of their star pacer Jhulan Goswami as the bowlers failed to provide the breakthrough. Shikha Pandey was the lone wicket-taker for India.

India will play their next match on 15th March at Vadodara.

Here is how the twitter reacted seeing Australia beat India comfortably:

Hope that @BCCIWomen perform better in the next #INDWvAUSW encounter.But I must say that the partnership between @ImSushVerma and Pooja Vastrakar was just brilliant.#cricket #womeninblue #bleedblue #indwvsausw #india #CricketMeriJaan #INDvAUS @M_Raj03 @mandhana_smriti #australia

— Akshay Kumar (@akshay_kumar49) March 12, 2018

The @SouthernStars making a big statement early in this run chase of 201 v @BCCIWomen. Lanning looking like she hasn’t had 7 months off and Bolton’s form continuing. #INDWvsAUSW

— Mel Jones (@meljones_33) March 12, 2018