Beth Mooney leads Australia to six-wicket victory against India in 1st ODI in Brisbane By Jeronimo Santos
2 min read
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The Australian women’s cricket team defeated Índia by six wickets in the first One Day International, played at Allan Border Field, in Brisbane, on February 24, 2026. Beth Mooney, with 76 runs in 79 balls, was the highlight of the match and secured the player of the game award. The Austrália chased down the target of 215 runs with ease, reaching 217 for four wickets in 38.2 overs.
Índia, who opted to bat first after winning the toss, was limited to 214 runs in 48.3 overs. Smriti Mandhana scored 58 runs while Harmanpreet Kaur contributed 53. The Indian women bowlers struggled against the Australian attack, especially Ashleigh Gardner who picked up three wickets for 33 runs.
Captain Alyssa Healy, in her farewell series, scored 50 runs off 70 balls and formed a crucial 64-run partnership with Mooney. Essa alliance stabilized the Australian innings after early losses and paved the way for victory. Annabel Sutherland finished unbeaten with 48 runs off 44 balls, helping to seal the match with 70 balls to spare.
- Beth Mooney surpassed 3,000 runs in ODIs, becoming the seventh Australian to reach that milestone.
- She also has over 7,000 runs across all international formats, joining Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy.
- The multi-format series is tied at four points each way after Austrália bounced back from defeats in the T20 series.
Beth Mooney’s performance in the match
Beth Mooney demonstrated consistency throughout her innings, tackling the pitch conditions with precision. Ela scored nine boundaries and maintained a strike rate above 96, adapting to the variations of the Indian bowlers. Sua’s partnership with Healy avoided an early collapse as Austrália lost two wickets quickly to Sree Charani.
The 32-year-old emphasized the importance of an aggressive approach in pursuit. Wicket conditions favored batting in the second innings, which allowed Austrália to exploit Índia’s weaknesses. Mooney completed his 20th half-hundred in ODIs during the match.
Context of the multi-format series
Austrália entered the ODI series needing wins to even up the points after losing two of their three T20 matches against Índia. The four-point tie reflects the competitiveness between the teams. Índia, the current world champions, showed strength in the initial batting, but failed to build consistent partnerships.
The Australian bowlers, led by Gardner, exploited daytime conditions to restrict the Indian total. Megan Schutt and Darcie Brown contributed key wickets, keeping the pressure constant. The Australian strategy focused on variations in pace
