Smriti Mandhana reflected on the learnings from their recently-concluded ODI series against Australia, which the Women in Blue lost 1-2 despite putting a valiant effort in the 413-run chase in Delhi.
Reflecting on the recent 1-2 series loss to Australia ahead of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025, India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana said on Saturday that the series was less about the result and more about identifying team combinations and areas to improve ahead of the global tournament.
India’s hopes of a historic maiden bilateral series win over Australia were dashed with a 43-run defeat in the decider after being handed a record chase of 413; however, Mandhana insisted the loss was not a setback. “This series was about getting the right combinations. Australia is the best opposition to test ourselves and see where we are lacking,” she said after the match.
Fielding emerged as a major concern, with India dropping over a dozen catches across the three games. The India vice-captain opened up on the weakness. “I mean, for sure, there is a lot of difference in the fielding.
Fielding part is one thing, which I mean as a team we are on a rise, but we also feel that some days there are days where we look like a different fielding side than the others. “We need to find the consistency in the team in terms of fielding as a unit together and not individual brilliance, so that’s one thing which we thought that we have to address before the World Cup,” she added.
Despite India’s struggles, Mandhana enjoyed a prolific run, finishing as the top scorer with two centuries and a fifty. She dismissed suggestions of over-reliance on her batting. “Everyone in this squad is a match-winner. We’ve posted 300-plus even when I got out early,” she noted, citing contributions from teammates like Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol and Pratika.
Her 125 off 63 balls in the final ODI, featuring 17 fours and five sixes, kept India in contention for a record 413 chase. “I wouldn’t call it my best knock. For me, memorable innings are those where the team wins,” she said.
Mandhana declined to reveal India’s World Cup combination, saying the team would stay flexible depending on conditions. “We wouldn’t really want to reveal what the combination is going to be because the World Cup is still 8-10 days away. But I wouldn’t say that we will have one particular combination, it would also depend a lot on the wicket,” she added.