Smriti Mandhana: 'The Gap Has Closed Between India and Australia'

For years, Australia Women have been the undisputed giants of women's cricket, winning the Women's ODI World Cup seven times. But after a dramatic 2025 season, India's vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is confident the gap between the two sides has closed — and the results suggest she is right.

Smriti Mandhana, born on 18 July 1996, is one of India's finest batters and serves as vice-captain of the Indian women's national team, led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Mandhana is known for her elegant left-handed batting and has long been one of the most recognised faces in women's cricket worldwide.

Before the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 — a major global tournament organised by the International Cricket Council, hosted across India and Sri Lanka — India and Australia played a three-match ODI series (a format where each team bats once with up to 50 overs). Australia won the first game comfortably, but India fought back to level the series, marking India's first ODI win against Australia at home since 2007. Though Australia won the decider by 43 runs, the series sent a clear message: India could compete. Mandhana was Player of the Series, smashing 300 runs across three games including a record century — the second-fastest ever in women's ODIs.

In the World Cup group stage, the two sides met again. Australia produced a stunning performance: Annabel Sutherland took 5 wickets for 40 runs with the ball, and captain Alyssa Healy — who also keeps wicket — blazed 142 runs off just 107 balls in one of the finest chases in ODI history. Mandhana top-scored for India with 80, sharing an impressive 150-run opening partnership with Pratika Rawal (75), but India fell short.

The real turning point came in the semi-final on 30 October at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. India needed to chase 339 runs to win — a record chase in the tournament. Mandhana opened the batting with Shafali Verma but was dismissed before the tenth over. However, Jemimah Rodrigues stepped up to play one of the most remarkable innings in Indian women's cricket history, scoring an unbeaten 127 runs to guide India home. India eliminated the seven-time champions Australia and marched into the final.

Mandhana finished the 2025 Women's World Cup as the second-highest run-scorer overall, accumulating 434 runs at an average of 54.25, including a century against New Zealand. Her performances throughout the tournament underlined just how vital she is to India's batting lineup.

Reflecting on the journey, Mandhana noted that the pre-World Cup series against Australia was about finding the right player combinations and testing themselves against the best. She identified fielding consistency as a key area where India had needed to improve to close the gap with Australia.

India went on to win the 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup, completing a historic triumph on home soil. Mandhana's words about the narrowing gap were not mere confidence — they were a verdict confirmed by the scoreboard.