Australia 298 for 6 (Sutherland 110, McGrath 56*, Gardner 50, Reddy 4-26) beat India 215 (Mandhana 105, Deol 39, Gardner 5-30, Schutt 2-26) by 83 runs
All-round brilliance from Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner helped Australia overcome heroic performances from Arundhati Reddy and Smriti Mandhana as they swept the ODI series against India in fierce heat at the WACA, in Perth.
After being sent in, Sutherland lifted Australia out of trouble with 110 off 95 balls as the home team reached a formidable 298 for 6.
Having struggled with the bat across the opening two matches in Brisbane, India had an uphill task in their bid to pull off the second-highest chase in women's ODI history.
Mandhana gave India hope with a classy 105 off 109 balls but her dismissal in the 36th over effectively ended their chances of a consolation victory. India lost their last seven wickets for 26 runs to be bowled out for 215 in the 46th over. Gardner backed up her half-century to run through India's middle and lower order and she finished with career-best ODI figures of 5 for 30.
India's chase started on the wrong note when Richa Ghosh, promoted to open for the second straight game, was bowled for 2 by a delivery that kept low from Megan Schutt.
But India didn't wilt as Mandhana and Harleen Deol blunted the new-ball bowling of Schutt and Kim Garth. Captain Tahlia McGrath brought on Ellyse Perry, who immediately enticed a false shot from Mandhana on 27 only for Alana King to drop a chance at square leg as she seemingly lost sight of the ball in the sun.
Australia were uncharacteristically sloppy in the field with Sutherland dropping a return catch when Deol on 21 hit firmly back at her. Her luck continued after she swept Gardner straight to Schutt who dropped a sitter at deep backward square leg. Deol also successfully reviewed an lbw decision off Sophie Molineux before being caught and bowled by King, who had been surprisingly held back until the 28th over.
Sutherland continued her excellent match with the big wicket of Harmanpreet Kaur for 12 leaving the burden on Mandhana, who reached her ninth ODI century in the 35th over. But Mandhana was deceived in the air and bowled by nemesis Gardner, who claimed her for the fifth time in ODIs. Her dismissal triggered a collapse, but Australia could have wrapped up the result faster if not for several dropped catches.
It wasn't a clinical performance, but Australia maintained their stranglehold over India in home conditions and continued their winning run since a disappointing T20 World Cup.
Australia had earlier recovered from 78 for 4 after Sutherland became the first player from her country to score a women's ODI century batting at No. 5 or lower. Openers Georgia Voll and Phoebe Litchfield put on 58 runs in the powerplay before Reddy turned the game with prodigious sideways movement that ripped apart Australia's formidable top order.
Reddy, 27, has played four previous ODIs since debuting against South Africa in June, but was not selected in the opening two matches in Brisbane. She made the most of her opportunity to finish with 4 for 26, the third-best ODI figures by a visiting bowler in Australia. Her initial eight-over spell was marked by the wickets of Voll, Litchfield, Perry and Beth Mooney to trigger a collapse of 4 for 20.
But her lionhearted efforts were undone by wayward bowling from India's other quicks and sloppy fielding. After being dropped on 12, Sutherland cashed in to reach her second ODI century before being run out off the second-last ball of the innings. She was well supported by half-centuries from Gardner - who was dropped twice - and McGrath.
Given the intense conditions, where temperatures hit 40 degrees, Harmanpreet surprisingly elected to bowl. The gamble appeared to backfire with new-ball bowlers Renuka Singh and Saima Thakor struggling to find an accurate line and length.
Hoping to cap a memorable debut series, after making 46 not out and 101 in Brisbane, Voll's confidence was evident after she whacked Renuka for consecutive boundaries in the opening over to set the tone.
A desperate Harmanpreet utilised her four quicks, initially turning to the speed of Titas Sadhu without success before Reddy stepped up in the ninth over and immediately troubled Litchfield and Voll with swing off a dangerous length. Reddy was rewarded on the first delivery after the powerplay when she produced a superb inswinging delivery that clean bowled Voll for 26 off 30.
Perry entered confident after her belligerent 105 off 75 balls in the second ODI, but she was under immediate pressure from Reddy whose loud shout for lbw was turned down. But Reddy was not to be denied and she dismissed Litchfield from around the wicket after producing a thin edge that was well caught by wicketkeeper Ghosh.
Reddy was on a roll and Australia had to amend their aggressive instincts. Perry was in survival mode as Reddy produced India's first maiden of the series, in the 13th over, before knocking Perry over in her next with a terrific delivery that moved off the seam.
Reddy wasn't done and she soon had figures of 4 for 10 after nicking off Mooney with another brilliant delivery to lift India into the ascendency. But she was finally tired after her unwavering eight-over spell on the trot, understandably looking gassed when she left the field for a breather.
After a ten-minute drinks break following the 20th over, Sutherland and Gardner put their foot down and ran rampant as the match turned once again. Gardner reached her first ODI half-century since July of last year before Sutherland launched in the backend to add to her Test double-century against South Africa on the same ground earlier in the year.
