December 12, 2024: The Indian Women’s Cricket Team has been fined 10% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate during the second ODI of their ICC Women’s Championship series against Australia, which took place in Brisbane. Australia, led by a record total of 371/8, their highest-ever score against India, ultimately defeated India by 122 runs after they could only manage 249 in response.
The fine was imposed under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to minimum over-rate offences. As per the rule, players are fined 5% of their match fee for every over their team fails to bowl within the allotted time. The charges were leveled by the on-field umpires Claire Polosak and Donovan Koch, third umpire Jacqueline Williams, and fourth umpire David Taylor. India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, accepted the proposed fine and pleaded guilty, meaning there was no need for a formal hearing.
Australia’s victory in this match also helped them secure a 3-0 series sweep, with their dominant performance continuing in the third ODI in Perth.
In that third ODI, Ashleigh Gardner made history by becoming the first Australian player, male or female, to take a five-wicket haul across all formats. Her remarkable spell of 5/30 played a major role in dismantling India’s chase, as Australia won by 83 runs. Smriti Mandhana’s counter-attacking century (her ninth in ODIs) briefly gave India hope at 189/3, but Gardner’s devastating spell led to a dramatic collapse, and India were bowled out for 215.
Gardner’s five-wicket haul was her maiden one in ODIs, but it added to her achievements in other formats. She had previously taken 8/66 in a Test match against England in Nottingham in 2023 and 5/12 against New Zealand in the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Earlier in the match, Australia had been in trouble at 78/4 due to a stellar spell from India’s Arundhati Reddy. However, Gardner and Sutherland combined to add 96 runs for the fifth wicket, with Gardner reaching her sixth ODI half-century. Sutherland’s outstanding innings of 110 off 95 balls, including nine fours and four sixes, was the highlight of Australia’s recovery. Tahlia McGrath, with an unbeaten 56, also played a key role in propelling the total to 298/6.
Australia’s clean sweep of the series has strengthened their position at the top of the ICC Women’s Championship standings, now with 34 points. They will next face New Zealand in their final three matches of the ongoing cycle, where they will look to secure their third consecutive title.
India, despite the losses, remains in third place in the standings. With six ODIs left to play—three each against West Indies and Ireland—they will need to win the majority of their remaining matches and rely on favorable results from other teams to have a chance at winning their first ICC Women’s Championship title.
