Megan Schutt's ODI best figures and a bright Georgia Voll debut have sunk India to a 12-year low in a one-sided ODI series opener in Brisbane.
The visitors lost 6-11 and made just 100 after opting to bat first at Allan Border Field on Thursday afternoon, their lowest total in the 50-over format since 2012.
A maiden five-wicket haul by Schutt (5-19) powered the hosts, before debutant Voll's unbeaten 46 off 42 balls ensured they reached the target inside 17 overs.
Schutt's career-best figures were assisted by opening bowling partner Kim Garth who suffocated India's top order.
"I've bowled much better than that and taken far few wickets," she told ABC Sport after the win.
"Kimmy G [Kim Garth] was doing all the hard yards at the other end, poor girl.
"Not getting any reward till the mid-phase of the game. So, pretty happy to get wickets at the other end, but I think Kimmy G set it up perfectly there."
It could have been even uglier for the tourists, who took three quick wickets after Phoebe Litchfield (35 off 29) had taken on the new ball.
The left-handed Litchfield enjoyed an early slice of luck but quickly hit top gear, peppering backward point with a series of square drives.
Phoebe Litchfield of Australia plays a shot during the first ODI match between Australia Women and India Women at Allan Border Field in Brisbane, Thursday, December 5, 2024. (AAP: Jono Searle)
Australia had motored to 48 inside seven overs before she departed, Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney both then out for one as the hosts lost 3-4.
Voll had started with authority, pasting her first ball in international cricket off the back foot through cover to the boundary.
She watched the mini-collapse from the other end and held her nerve in an encouraging start as the injured Alyssa Healy's top-order replacement.
Tight early overs from Kim Garth (1-20) and Schutt quickly led to wickets, Smriti Mandhana's edged cut shot just carrying to wicketkeeper Beth Mooney, and Priya Punia skying a reckless slog attempt after she had mustered just three runs from 17 balls.
Off-spinner Gardner did not offer any respite, Annabel Sutherland reaching to snaffle a catch that ended a Harleen Deol innings that had shown fleeting promise.
Sutherland then trapped Harmanpreet Kaur in front of her stumps as India went nearly 10 overs without a boundary.
Mooney's move up to the stumps spooked Jemimah Rodrigues (23 off 42), who was clean-bowled by Garth.
Georgia Wareham reduced the tourists to 6-92 with a direct-hit run-out from the boundary that caught Deepti Sharma marginally short.
Litchfield took a sharp catch at short cover to continue the Aussies' fielding masterclass.
Schutt's stump-to-stump bowling then proved too much for the Indian tail as they lost 4-3.
Game two of the series is in Brisbane on Sunday, before they move to Perth.
AAP/ABC
Catch up on the action in our blog.
The Australian women's international summer of cricket is off to a winning start.
Australia takes a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series with a five wicket victory over India.
There were positives for India with ball in hand, and they will be hoping their batting in not as poor as it was today.
ABC Sport will be back to live blog the second ODI, beginning Sunday morning.
Goodnight.
Well.
We should have known Australia was going to win today.
I could take on the world if I spent a full afternoon playing with dogs.
ABC Sport's Zane Bojack is at Allan Border Field and has been joined by fast bowler Megan Schutt.
Today was the first time Schutt has taken five wickets in an ODI.
The Australian fast bowler was full of praise for her opening bowling partner Kim Garth, who kept the runs to a minimum and built pressure on the India top-order.
"I've bowled much better than that and taken far few wickets," she says.
"Kimmy G [Kim Garth] was doing all the hard yards at the other end, poor girl.
"Not getting any reward till the mid-phase of the game there. So, pretty happy to get wickets at the other end, but I think Kimmy G set it up perfectly there."
A terrific bowling performance has set up a convincing win for Australia.
They only needed 101 runs, but the Indians made the hosts work for it.
Five wickets made sure Australia had a bit of pressure in that run chase.
But debutant Georgia Voll was a rock, guiding the run chase with an unbeaten 46.
Georgia Voll is on 45, and Australia needs four runs to win.
Voll clearly has not interest in individual accolades, hitting the first ball of Titas Sadhu's over for a single.
Tahlia McGrath is on strike.
FOUR. Game over. McGrath gets a wide ball from Titas and the Aussie captain plays a square drive to the boundary.
Ash Gardner decided she was going to belt everything in that over.
She charges and Priya Mishra smartly bowls wide outside off stump.
Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh whips the bails off. Garnder is out.
Australia's captain Tahlia McGrath comes to the crease and fends the final ball of the 16th over.
After a terrific first over, Ash Gardner has no interest in letting Priya Mishra build confidence.
Gardner skips down the wicket and whacks the ball 74 metres for six runs.
Gardner then chips the ball to the mid-wicket boundary for a single.
Voll is on strike and misses a wide one. She then takes a single.
Here comes the golden arm of Renuka Singh Thakur.
She has three Australian wickets. Can she make these remaining 22 runs nerve-wracking for Australia?
Thakur bowls to Voll and begins with a pair of dot balls.
FOUR. Thakur bowls a loose ball on the pads and Voll whips it to a vacant fine leg for a boundary.
SIX! Voll has timed a beautiful leg-side shot over mid-wicket. The ball landed in the middle of the rope, which is enough for a maximum. Voll moves to 44 runs on debut.
Thakur was able to respond with two dot balls to end the over.
Drinks have finished and Ash Gardner is the new batter at the crease.
Gardner hits Priya Mishra to the leg-side to get a single.
Voll defends the fourth delivery of the over.
A quick single to Voll gets Gardner on strike for the final ball of the over.
Priya bowls a wrong-un and Gardner chips back down the pitch, but falls short of the bowler.
End of the over. Australia needs 22 more runs for victory.
OUT.
Priya Mishra has taken the wicket of Annabel Sutherland.
It was a poor ball that was begging to be whacked the boundary.
But Sutherland pulled the ball straight to Smriti Mandhana at midwicket.
Sutherland is out for 6.
That's drinks.
There is a lot of talk about this 20-year-old leg spin bowler, Priya Mishra.
Her first ball is to Georgia Voll who plays a wrong-un into the off-side for a single.
Titas Sadhu comes in for the 13th over.
Georgia Voll plays the first ball to the off-side for a single.
Sutherland defends then hits the third delivery of the over off her hip for a single into the leg-side.
EDGE. DROPPED. Georgia Voll survives. Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh has dropped the catch and it has gone to the boundary.
Richa was leaning her body weight the wrong way and her footwork was not good enough. She should have taken that.
Voll plays a single out to the square leg boundary.
Annabel Sutherland cannot score off the final ball of the over.
Australia needs 25 runs to win.
India have gone back to their opening bowler.
Georgia Voll drives and a misfield allows the AUssirs to get a single.
Annabel Sutherland is on strike.
FOUR. Sutherland is off the mark with a nice drive through cover. An Indian field got to the ball but her foot was on the rope when she knocked the ball back from the boundary.
Sutherland follows up with a single.
Voll knocks the fourth ball of the over into the leg-side for no run.
FOUR. Georgia Voll takes a knee and whacks Saima Thakor over mid-on.
Voll ends the over with a single after cutting a ball to backward point.
Renuka Singh Thakur is the woman with the golden arm at the moment.
She bowls to Georgia Voll and the first ball is a dot.
FOUR. Australia needed that. Voll plays a pull shot off the front foot and it goes to the boundary.
Voll follows up with a single and brings Annabel Sutherland on strike.
Sutherland has not got off the mark yet. And she still has not with three dots to end the 11th over.
TItas Sadhu comes in to bowl to Georgia Voll.
Two dot balls begin the over.
Voll hits in the air … it falls safe. That was not a convincing shot.
India have their tails up.
Annabel Sutherland at at the crease and is now on strike.
Sutherland drives on the up for no run.
Another two dot for Titas and India.
End of the over. Australia are 3/53.
OUT.
Australia has lost three wickets for just four runs.
Renuka Singh Thakur bowled across the left-handed Beth Mooney who went for the cover drive.
Mooney edges and it goes to Jemimah Rodrigues at gully.
Beth Mooney comes in at number four.
Mooney is off the mark straight away with a single.
Voll faces Thakur and takes a leg bye.
Mooney — a left-handed batter — faces up again.
Thakur is trying to slide her deliveries across Mooney, who is up to the challenge, fending two to the off-side.
Renuka Singh Thakur starts the 9th over with a wicket.
It was short and wide and Ellyse Perry went for a cut shot.
EDGE. OUT. Nice take from the keeper Richa Ghosh who was standing up to the stumps.
Perry looks very frustrated with that. She is out for 1.
Titas Sadhu comes in to bowl to Georgia Voll.
The first ball is wide but missed by Voll.
The Aussie batter then hits the second ball over point for a single.
Ellyse Perry is on strike and drives for no run.
Perry then plays a cut to deep backward point to get off the mark with a single.
Voll defends Titas on the front foot.
Another dot to end the over.
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