Bellerive Oval in Hobart is the setting for the highly rated second ODI India Looking to keep the three-match series alive against a dominant Australian side. The multi-format points table is currently tied at 4-4, the Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bat first, hoping to secure a difficult result on a surface that showed signs of live grass. Australia aims to win a ‘farewell festival’ for the veteran Alyssa Healythey will look to their disciplined pace attack to make early inroads and secure the ODI trophy with a game to spare.
Why Australian skipper Sophie Molineux will not play in today’s AUS-W vs IND-W 2nd ODI
The biggest news in the innings was the absence of the newly appointed Australian captain. Sophie Molineux has been ruled out of the rest of the ODI series and the upcoming one-off Test at the WACA due to back pain. The injury was a huge blow for the hosts as Molineux had just taken over. Stand-up captain Healy, who returned to captaincy for this match, described the news as ‘a bit of a shock’ but stressed the importance of the team coming together. Australia brought in to balance the XI Nicola CareyTheir familiarity with Hobart conditions is expected to strengthen their seam-bowling all-round options in Molineux’s absence.
Also READ: AUS-W vs IND-W, 2nd ODI Match Prediction: Who will win today’s match between Australia and India?
AUS-W vs IND-W, 2nd ODI: Strategic personnel changes and high stakes in Hobart
Both teams made significant changes to their playing XIs, reflecting the critical nature of this ‘virtual final’. India chose a bold strategy by opening the rest Shafali Verma and lead pacer Renuka Singh ThakurThe 20-year-old gives the left-arm spinner his ODI debut Vaishnavi Sharma and bring Amanjot Kaur. As Molineux joins in, the pressure is on for Australia to protect their 1-0 lead while missing three key stars. Ellyse Perry and Kim Garth (both with quad injuries) out.
The stakes are historically high: a win for Australia secures the ODI series, while a win for India would mark their first ODI win at this venue and keep alive their dreams of a first series win on Australian soil. With India’s status as world champions from late 2025 providing a psychological edge and Australia’s depth being tested to the limit, the battle at Bellerive Oval will be a classic encounter of resistance to tactical innovation.
Also READ: AUS vs IND: Deepti Sharma shares Harmanpreet Kaur injury update ahead of 2nd Women’s ODI
This article was originally published here WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.
