Hobart, March 1: India captain Harmanpreet Kaur admitted that her team failed to maintain consistency and played poorly in the ODI format after suffering a heavy 185-run defeat against Australia in the third ODI played at the Bellerive Oval on Sunday.
Chasing a massive target of 410, India were bowled out for 224 in 45.1 overs as Australia completed a 3-0 sweep of the ODI series and took an 8-2 lead in the multi-format contest.
"I think overall, we didn't play good cricket. In T20, we were doing everything right, and in ODI, we didn't play well. I think that's what cost us," Harmanpreet said after the match.
Highlighting the difference between the two formats, the Indian captain pointed out that consistency is key in 50-over cricket.
"ODI is a long game, and you have to keep doing the right things repeatedly. I think we made too many mistakes," Harmanpreet explained.
She also credited the Australian team for their dominant display. "Credit also goes to the Australian team, they really played well, and they didn't give us a chance to recover."
Despite the setback, the Indian captain stressed that the series offered important lessons for the upcoming matches.
"A lot of learning for us, and definitely, we will go back and think about how we should play in ODI cricket," the 36-year-old said.
With limited time to regroup before the start of the iconic Test match at Perth, Harmanpreet emphasised the need to stay mentally strong.
"Keeping everyone in a good mental space is very important. I know we have very little time to prepare, but now it's all about believing in yourself, staying in a good mental frame, and doing the right things for the team," she added.
The Indian women's team will end their tour with a Test match against Australia to be played at the Perth Stadium from March 6.
