DESPITE a brilliant century from Smriti Mandhana and a tight economical spell from Arundhati Reddy, Australia prevailed at the WACA by 83 runs on Wednesday night.

The Australian Women’s Cricket Team took a clean sweep of their series against India after another comprehensive win in game three. Their big win set-up by all-rounder Annabel Sutherland‘s second ODI century, who was the first ever Australian woman to hit a century batting at number five or lower in this format.

Her knock was imperative to her side’s win after Reddy’s blistering spell (4-26 off 10) notched up the wickets of Phoebe Litchfield (25 off 33), Georgia Voll (26 off 30), Ellyse Perry (four off 14) and Beth Mooney (10 off 14). The regular fall of wickets that Reddy orchestrated saw the Australians left reeling at 4-78.

Sutherland’s century coincided with some crucial batting partnerships sharing the pitch with both Ash Gardner (50 off 64) and skipper Tahlia McGrath (56 not out off 50). Gardner and Sutherland’s fifth wicket partnership netted 96 runs, a big factor in their ability to post the total they did.

Australia managed to get to 6-298 from their 50 overs on a scorching hot day that presented challenging conditions.

Sutherland would have fond memories of playing at the WACA, after enjoying a test double hundred in February against South Africa.

Batting second, the Indian women needed to bat well to complete what would have been the second largest chase in Women’s ODIs. Their opener Mandhana managed the excellent start that they needed scoring a century, hitting 105 off 109 balls.

The rest of the Indian side was left reeling after Gardner ripped through them with the ball taking 5-30. The tourists slumped to 7-26 after Mandhana was bowled by Gardner, bowling out the side for just 219 within 46 overs.

Australia now heads across the ditch to take on New Zealand in a three-game ODI series before a home Ashes series against England, while India will play a limited-overs series against the West Indies at home.