AUS-W v IND-W: 3 talking points from India's historic victory in the final ODI

After a gut-wrenching loss in the second ODI, Team India bounced back in encouraging fashion to clinch the final ODI in another nail-biter. As a result, India have added two points to their tally in the multi-format series against the Aussie women.

It was redemption for veteran Indian pacer Jhulan Goswami as she hit the winning runs in the final over. After spearheading the bowling attack, she claimed the Player of the Match award for bagging 3 for 37.

Chasing a target of 265, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma got their side off to a steady start, before the former was dismissed for 22. However, it was the 101-run stand between Shafali Verma and Yastika Bhatia as the two youngsters notched up their maiden ODI half-centuries.

In a blend of youthful exuberance and maturity on display, the two batters put their side in the driver's seat during the run-chase. However, a stumble from the Indian middle-order required cameos from Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana, before Goswami finished off the proceedings with a boundary.

Meanwhile, the victory was historic in some regards as it meant that Australia's 26-match winning streak, which started against India in 2018, was finally snapped by Mithali Raj and Co.

While the victory will be a huge boost for the Indian team ahead of the standalone pink-ball Test, their performance was a mixed bag. While some players were mighty impressive, the team's performance was far from clinical. On that note, we discuss three talking points from the third ODI.

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#3 Sneh Rana - India's dependable all-rounder

Sneh Rana has time and again proved that she can be the all-rounder India can count on.

Sneh Rana marked her comeback with a stellar performance against England in the Test match earlier this year. In a magnificent all-round performance, she bagged four wickets in the first innings before stitching up a magnificent unbeaten 104-run partnership with Taniya Bhatia to save the Test match for India after they were forced into a follow-on.

Rana has been through a bit of a rough patch but the mental fortitude she's displayed to force her way back into this side has been commendable. She's a senior player who has found herself again and knows how to play her role effortlessly, proving to be a bonafide match-winner.

She proved that once again with her performance in the final ODI, accounting for the crucial wicket of Beth Mooney and wielding her willow to score a valuable 30 to get her side closer to the finish line.

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#2 Yastika Bhatia - India's answer to their number three issue?

The Indian women have been searching for answers to their dilemmas around the number three spot. After an unsuccessful tour against New Zealand in 2019, Mithali Raj demoted herself to no. 4 to compensate for the lack of experience in the middle-order that made it more prone to collapses.

Meanwhile, India tried to fill the void by handing out opportunities to Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues and even Deepti Sharma. While none of the changes have worked out, other factors such as Raj's scoring rate, which has come under some criticism recently, and the injury to Harmanpreet Kaur, meant that Yastika Bhatia was given the go-ahead for this tour.

While the youngster showed glimpses of what she's all about in the first ODI, the team management's backing came to fruitation as she smashed 64 off 69 deliveries, in a match-winning knock for her side.

Bhatia's energy on the field, along with the intent she has shown in running between the wickets, makes her just the kind of batter India are looking for to fill the void at the number three spot. She was also mighty impressive against spinners and fast bowlers, and might be making a statement about her selection ahead of the upcoming World Cup to try and secure her spot.

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#3 India's fielding woes

The Indian fielding unit has been woeful over recent years and there seems to be no reprieve in sight. In this ODI series against Australia alone, India have dropped a number of catches at crucial junctions in the game.

In the second ODI, Beth Mooney was dropped in the sixth over while she was on just one. The Australian batter made the Indians pay for it and went on to score an unbeaten 125 to see her side over the line. Even in Sunday's final ODI, India dropped as many as four catches.

Apart from the glaring missed chances, India's fielders seemed to have had a bad case of the 'butter fingers' throughout the innings. A number of missed opportunities, misfields and chances gone begging from the Indian side allowed Australia to break the shackles and make the visitors pay.

It's not the first time India's fielding has cost them on the big stage. If the Indian side are to go on and win a major tournament, they will have to make their chances count as and when presented. After all, catches win matches, don't they?

After a spirited performance in the ODIs, India will look to put on a show in the standalone pink-ball Test between India and Australia set to be played starting Thursday at the Carrara Oval in Queensland.