Annabel Sutherland smashes powerful century as Australia put India to sword in WACA victory

India showed fight, but a resounding century from Annabel Sutherland has helped Australia to a series clean sweep of India by 83 runs at the WACA.

It looked like it would be India’s day in Perth as the tourists uncovered quick Arundhati Reddy, who finally gave the tourists a foothold in the three-match ODI series with four wickets in three overs, and star opener Smriti Mandhana crafted her ninth international ton.

But Sutherland couldn’t be stopped as she pulled Australia from 4-78 to 6-298 with her second international century at the WACA this year after a Test match double ton against South Africa, before the home side’s classy spinners ended India’s hopes of consolation in front of 1484 fans.

Sutherland’s 110 from 95 in the first innings was made all the more remarkable as the Perth mercury boiled past 40 degrees, her nine boundaries and four maximums compounding India’s fielding nightmare to make bowling first a disastrous choice for the visitors.

Mandhana was just as impressive but couldn’t find support as the run rate soared in what would have been the second-biggest run chase in women’s ODI history had they chased it down.

Georgia Voll picked up from her Brisbane century amid a listless start from the Indian bowlers.

The three-game sensation made the bowling look like throwdowns as she pierced the off-side ring off the front foot and flicked anything straight to the mid-wicket pickets.

It took a remarkable piece of bowling to remove the 21-year-old on 26, Reddy producing an incredible in-swinger to beat the bat and knock over leg stump through the gate.

When Reddy removed Ellyse Perry for four with another beauty that clipped the top of off stump, India’s selectors must have wondered why they’d waited for the final game of the series to play her.

It became a head-scratcher as the wicket of hometown star Beth Mooney gave the Indian figures of 4-10 - she would finish with 4-26 - from 4.1 overs.

Only a review stopped her claiming her five-fer, Ash Gardner wisely saving herself from a tight lbw decision having already been dropped on three.

Gardner and Annabel Sutherland steadied the chaos, the former passing 1000 ODI runs as Australia’s total passed 150.

Sutherland got a taste for spin as her confidence built, hitting Deepti Sharma and Minnu Mani out of the attack after just two overs each.

Gardner reached her half century and attempted to join Sutherland’s spin attack when Sharma returned, but fell caught at backward point.

The wicket didn’t slow Sutherland as she reached her half century off 59 balls and accelerated.

The 64-metre boundaries weren’t nearly big enough to halt the onslaught, the powerful all-rounder reaching a resounding century with a towering blow over the long-on rope for six.

It was her running that finally came unstuck, her stumps thrown down in the final over on 110, attempting a selfless second as Australia posted 6-298.

India opened their innings with much more aggression than the first two games, and Mandhana kept the score ticking at more than five and over to the first drinks break.

India reached 100 with the help of two dropped catches - they had five in total - but Australia slowly pulled the run rate back as fielding restrictions eased.

Talia McGrath slowed the game further, introducing spin and her own medium pace.

However, Mandhana used the crease to find angles into the gaps, ticking ever closer to a century.

It might have taken 27 overs for local favourite Alana King to finally be handed the ball, but it took just two balls for the leggie to remove Harleen Deol for 40 with a sharp caught and bowled.

Harmanpreet Kaur’s arrival brought fanfare but few runs, departing for 10, hitting one to mid-off.

Mandhana weathered the storm, reaching triple figures just after a classy sweep to the wide mid-on boundary.

The Indian centurion looked ready to take the game away from Australia, greeting Gardner’s return to the bowling crease with a boundary.

However, the Aussie offie wasn’t so easily intimidated, slipping a fast arm-ball through Mandhana’s previously unbreachable defence to end her resistance on 105.

The star’s demise brought a swift end to proceedings, with Jemimah Rodrigues and Sharma facing 14 balls between them and the tail doing little better, wrapped up for 215 in 45.1 overs.

Gardner finished with 5-30.