Australia Embarks on New Era as India Tour Begins
The Australian women’s cricket team enters a period of transition as they host India in a multi-format series beginning this weekend. With Alyssa Healy set to retire after the series, and a new captain in Sophie Molineux, Australia faces India – the reigning ODI World Cup champions – in three T20Is, three ODIs, and a one-off Test match.
The series kicks off with the T20 leg at the Sydney Cricket Ground on February 15th, though the start of play was delayed due to rain. India won the toss and elected to field. This marks the first time Australia will compete without a global trophy in their cabinet for nearly a decade, and the first series under the leadership of Molineux.
India, buoyed by their recent ODI World Cup victory, presents a formidable challenge. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur emphasized the importance of starting fresh with each match, despite their recent success. “Being world champions always gives you a lot of confidence, but every time you step on the ground, you have to start from ball one,” Kaur said. “T20 is something that as a team we all really enjoy playing, and playing against Australia is always fun.”
The points system for the series differs from the previous Australia-India tour in 2024-25, where each format was separate. Now, two points are awarded for a win in the T20 and ODI matches, and four points for a Test victory, with two points awarded for a draw.
The upcoming schedule is heavily focused on T20 cricket, reflecting the importance of the format with the 2026 T20 World Cup on the horizon, followed by a Champions Trophy in 2027, the LA Olympics in 2028, and another T20 World Cup. The series will also serve as a farewell to Healy, with the ODI and Test matches providing the platform for her final appearances.
For India, batter Bharti Fulmali returns to the squad for the first time since 2019, with her strike rate being a key attribute. Shreyanka Patil also makes a return to the T20I side after last featuring in the 2024 T20 World Cup. India has recent experience in the T20 format, having won all five matches against Sri Lanka in late December.
Australia, in contrast, has played only three T20 matches in the past 12 months, against New Zealand last March. Australia has a strong record at the SCG, winning all four T20Is played there.
In the Spotlight: Sophie Molineux and Smriti Mandhana
Sophie Molineux’s appointment as captain came as a surprise to many, not due to her ability – her bowling numbers in white-ball internationals are considered exceptional – but because of a history of injuries that have kept her off the field. Molineux acknowledged the surreal feeling of leading the team out for the first time. “I think it’ll be pretty surreal. I’ve got a bit of family coming. It sort of has slipped into my mind the last couple of days how it’s going to feel to lead the team out and to sing the anthem,” she said.
India will look to Smriti Mandhana to lead their batting lineup. Mandhana is coming off a standout performance in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), where she was the top run-scorer and led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the title. She recently battled flu to score 87 off 41 balls in the final, partnering with Georgia Voll for a stand of 165.
Team News
Molineux indicated that the team balance is still being considered, potentially opening the door for a recall for Nicola Carey. The final pace bowling selection could come down to a choice between Darcie Brown and Kim Garth.
Australia (possible): 1 Georgia Voll, 2 Beth Mooney (wk), 3 Phoebe Litchfield, 4 Ellyse Perry, 5 Annabel Sutherland, 6 Tahlia McGrath, 7 Nicola Carey, 8 Sophie Molineux (capt), 9 Georgia Wareham, 10 Darcie Brown, 11 Megan Schutt
India needs to finalize their spin attack, with Shreyanka Patil potentially playing her first T20I since 2024.
India (possible): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Deepti Sharma, 7 Arundhati Reddy, 8 Shreyanka Patil, 9 Kranti Gaud, 10 N Shree Charani/Vaishnavi Sharma, 11 Renuka Singh
Pitch and Conditions
The Sydney Cricket Ground has hosted four previous T20Is for Australia, all of which they won. There is a chance of showers on Sunday, which could impact play.
Harmanpreet Kaur expressed India’s ambition to be considered the best team in the world, stating, “We are really working hard to achieve all our targets, so winning the ODI World Cup was one of them. So we are on the right track, we are just working really hard.”
