India Women vs Australia Women: ODI Battle Begins at the Gabba

 

 A Power Shift in Women's Cricket?

 

 India Women and Australia Women face off at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on February 24, 2026, in the opening ODI of their three-match series. The India Women vs Australia Women contest comes loaded with context — India are reigning ODI World Cup champions, having beaten Australia in the semi-final by chasing down a record 339-run target in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Australia Women are on a mission to reassert home dominance in the 50-over format and hand captain Alyssa Healy a memorable farewell.

 

 Alyssa Healy's Farewell and India's World Cup Momentum

 

 This India Women vs Australia Women series marks the final weeks of Alyssa Healy's international career. The wicketkeeper-batter has not played since Australia's World Cup semi-final loss to India and returns in this India Women vs Australia Women series with a point to prove. Ellyse Perry and Kim Garth are unavailable after quad injuries in the third T20I, adding to Australia's selection challenges. India, meanwhile, named a full-strength squad featuring Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and the returning Pratika Rawal.

 

 Pratika Rawal's Comeback

 

 Pratika Rawal makes her long-awaited return to international cricket in the India Women vs Australia Women ODI series after recovering from knee and ankle injuries that cut short her World Cup. The opener was dismissed for a duck early in the first ODI, falling to Megan Schutt's sharp in-swinging delivery. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma then took charge of rebuilding India's innings in this India Women vs Australia Women encounter at Brisbane.

 

 Key Battles to Watch

 

 Smriti Mandhana is the player most likely to determine the outcome in the India Women vs Australia Women series. She averages just under 50 against Australia in ODIs, with four centuries in 20 games. Alana King returns to the Australian side after being out of the T20 squad and is expected to be their key bowling weapon. The India Women vs Australia Women series carries significant multi-format points, with India leading the series 4-2 after their 2-1 T20I victory.