Back in 1983, Clive Lloyd’s touring West Indies thrashed India 5-0 in the ODI series to avenge its defeat at the World Cup.
Meg Lanning’s Australian women’s team seems to be as unforgiving as it takes on India in the third and final ODI at the Reliance Cricket Stadium here on Sunday.
The women in yellow have already won the series in most emphatic style, but nobody expects them to play with any less intensity.
They will look to sweep the series, something opener Nicole Bolton has done against the Indian spinners with great success.
A 3-0 score might lessen the pain of the stunning loss in the World Cup semifinal eight months ago.
It was an out-of-the-world innings from Harmanpreet Kaur that fashioned India’s stunning victory at Derby.
The hard-hitting batswoman, however, has had a tough time here.
She isn’t the only one who has struggled, though. Except for an attractive 67 by opener Smriti Mandhana in the second match, it has been a hugely disappointing show by the home batswomen.
The fact is that this Indian side, starring captain Mithali Raj in the lead role, boasts one of the strongest line-ups in the world, but requires at least a couple of the ladies at the top of the order to stay in the middle and build partnerships.
Something the Australians have done with aplomb.
The only time their top-class batting was really tested was in the second game when they lost three wickets for 14 runs, but a fifth-wicket partnership of 96 between Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney took the game away from India.
It is about Bolton, with scores of 100 not out and 84, though the host would worry more.
The visitors have bowled well, too. Left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen and leggie Amanda-Jade Wellington have claimed 12 wickets between them.
Their Indian counterparts could take a leaf out of their book when it comes to bowling with discipline.
If they do that, and if the batting clicks, the cricket lovers of the city, who have come out in huge numbers, could get to see a more even match.
Match starts at 9 a.m.
