India begin the ODI leg of their multi-format tour of Australia with the series opener in Brisbane on 24 February 2026. The first match is a day/night fixture and sets the direction for the three-match 50-over contest. After sealing a 2-1 win in the T20I series, India will aim to take that confidence into an ODI format where Australia have traditionally been a formidable opponent. With a high-quality clash expected, three India players stand out as key influences for the first ODI.
Smriti Mandhana
Smriti Mandhana remains India’s biggest ODI batting threat. The left-handed opener has produced a standout record against Australia, with 996 runs in 20 ODIs at an average just under 50. Her tally includes four hundreds and six fifties, underlining how consistently she has scored against one of the strongest bowling units in the game.
Her recent returns against Australia are particularly striking. In her last five ODI innings versus them, Mandhana has registered scores of 105, 58, 117, 125 and 80, a sequence that highlights both her range and her ability to deliver in marquee match-ups.
Mandhana’s most recent ODI century in Australia — 105 — reinforced how well she can adjust to local conditions. On bigger grounds that reward placement and strong running, she combined fluent strokeplay with measured aggression. She also comes into the ODI leg after an influential T20I series, finishing the tour’s opening phase with 82 off 55 balls in the decider to help India clinch the series 2-1. If Mandhana gets through the new-ball phase in Brisbane, she has the tools to bat deep and shape the innings.
Jemimah Rodrigues
Jemimah Rodrigues offers India a blend of control and intent through the middle order. She has 1,749 ODI runs and three centuries, scoring at a strike rate of 89.83, and has developed into a batter capable of holding an innings together while still increasing tempo.
Against Australia, she has already shown she can deliver under pressure. Her unbeaten 127 in the 2025 World Cup came in a high-stakes chase as India overhauled a target of 339, producing one of the standout ODI knocks of the tournament.
Rodrigues also carried form into the recent T20I series in Australia. In the decider, she made 59 and featured in a decisive partnership with Mandhana that swung the match India’s way. Her ability to rotate strike against disciplined bowling and then accelerate later makes her especially valuable in ODIs, while her back-foot game and clean timing can be important assets on surfaces offering bounce and carry.
N Sree Charani
N Sree Charani has steadily carved out a role as a reliable ODI option. In 18 matches, the left-arm spinner has taken 23 wickets at an average of 36.65 and an economy rate of 5.32, figures that reflect her value as a bowler who can control phases while still providing breakthroughs.
Her recent work in Australia has further strengthened her case. Across the three-match T20I series, Charani picked up five wickets at an average of 14, showing she can strike regularly without losing control, even in conditions often seen as seam-friendly.
As a slow left-arm orthodox bowler, Charani’s consistency in line and length can be vital during the middle overs, particularly once the ball softens. Even if early conditions assist pace, her ability to change pace and draw errors can become increasingly important as the innings progresses, and she brings experience of operating against strong batting groups, including Australia.
With Mandhana’s top-order output, Rodrigues’ middle-overs influence and Charani’s control through the centre of the innings, India have three clear match-shapers heading into Brisbane for the first ODI.
