A powerful century from Georgia Voll steered Australia to a comprehensive five-wicket victory over India in the second One-Day International in Hobart, clinching the ODI portion of the multi-format series.
Chasing a target of 252, the hosts overcame the early loss of captain Alyssa Healy to cruise home with 14 overs to spare. The foundation of the successful chase was a dominant 140-run partnership between opener Phoebe Litchfield (80) and Voll, who top-scored with a fluent 101.
India, after winning the toss and choosing to bat, posted a competitive 251 for 9 from their 50 overs. Openers Pratika Rawal (52) and Smriti Mandhana (31) provided a solid start with a 78-run stand. However, the innings lost momentum in the middle overs following a cluster of wickets. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur anchored the latter stages with a patient 54, but the total ultimately proved insufficient against Australia’s aggressive batting lineup.
The Australian reply began shakily with Healy bowled by Kashvee Gautam for 6. However, any Indian optimism was quickly extinguished by Litchfield and Voll. The pair combined aggressive strokeplay with sharp running, dismantling the bowling attack and racing along at well over six runs per over. Litchfield fell for 80, attempting an ambitious shot, but Voll continued unabated, bringing up her second ODI century before holing out shortly after.
Despite losing a few late wickets, the result was never in doubt. Ashleigh Gardner (19 not out) sealed the win with a boundary in the 37th over.
For India, the bowling lacked penetration after the initial breakthrough, with the spinners unable to apply consistent pressure. The contrast in strike rates between the two teams’ batting efforts was stark, with Australia’s top order demonstrating the required tempo to chase down a sizeable target.
The victory gives Australia an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ODI series and moves them ahead in the overall multi-format points system. The teams will meet again in Hobart for the third and final ODI on Sunday before the series shifts to Perth for a Test match.
