India beats Australia by two wickets to end 26-match ODI unbeaten streak

Chasing 265 runs for victory, maiden ODI fifties from Shafali Verma and Yastika Bhatia, along with a late flourish from Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana took India home.

Verma and Bhatia's 101 run stand formed the bedrock on which India chased down the score.

India defeated Australia by two wickets in the third and final Women's ODI in Mackay on Sunday to register its first points in the bilateral rubber and end Australia's winning streak of 26 ODI matches.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary

Chasing 265 runs for victory, maiden fifties from Shafali Verma and Yastika Bhatia took India home with Jhulan Goswami scoring the winning runs that earned the visitors a consolation win in the series.

Batting first, Australia posted 264 for 9 in 50 overs, on the back of half-centuries from Beth Mooney (52 off 64) and Ashleigh Gardner (67 off 62). Goswami (3 for 37) and Pooja Vastrakar (3 for 46) were the pick of the Indian bowlers.

 

Verma, first with Smriti Mandhana  (22 off 25) and then with Bhatia (64 off 69) put India's chase on course.

But a middle-order slump threatened India's win before the lower-order, led by Deepti Sharma (31 off 30) and Sneh Rana (30 off 27) brought the visitors back in the game.

Rana fell in the dying moments, but Goswami, who was later adjudged the player of the match, sealed the game with a lofted boundary in the final over of the match.

India ends Australia's juggernaut yet again Australia's record streak in women's ODIs ended in dramatic fashion on Sunday, Jhulan Goswami hitting the winning runs with two balls to spare as India huffed and puffed its way to the target. This is not the first time that Australia's record winning or unbeaten run was ended by an Indian team. In 2001 and 2008, the Indian men's team beat Australia to halt the team's winning run to 16 Tests. Earlier this year, the Indian men's team breached Australia's fortress at the Gabba, consigning Australia to its first loss there since 1988.