The competition in women’s Cricket intensifies as the Australia Women vs India Women 1st ODI begins today at Allan Border Field in Brisbane. This match marks the start of the ODI series in the India Women tour of Australia 2026, following a closely contested T20I series.
With the T20I series now concluded, the stakes for the ODIs are high. India comes into this series with confidence, having recently won the Women’s ODI World Cup in November 2025. For Australia, this series is an opportunity to regain momentum against a strong rival.
Why Ellyse Perry is not playing today
The most notable news as the teams align is the absence of a key player. Australia’s prominent athlete, Ellyse Perry, is not participating in today’s match, along with pacer Kim Garth.
During the toss, Australian captain Alyssa Healy confirmed their absence, which surprised many in attendance. Both players are dealing with quad injuries suffered during the recent T20I in Adelaide. Healy, leading the team during her last series, explained that the decision was necessary given the rigorous schedule ahead.
“No Perry, no Garth. Got some injuries picked up in the third T20. That’s probably the two notable changes,” Healy stated.
The absence of Perry, who recently marked her 350th International appearance, is significant for Australia’s batting and bowling strength. This situation offers veteran Megan Schutt a chance to return to the playing XI. Perry is now focused on her recovery, with her participation in the upcoming Test match at WACA still uncertain.
AUS-W vs IND-W: Playing XI of both teams
Australia: Alyssa Healy (c), Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll, Beth Mooney (wk), Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Alana King, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown
India: Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Shafali Verma, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud, Renuka Singh Thakur
