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Aussies complete series clean sweep with century and five-fa

Aussies complete series clean sweep with century and five-fa

Australia’s women have completed a clean sweep of their three-match ODI series against India after a clinical century from Annabel Sutherland put the hosts on course for their 83-run win.

Sutherland notched a career-best 110 runs from 95 balls with half-centuries from Ashleigh Gardner and Tahlia McGrath after Australia was sent in to bat.

Putting together a dominant all-round game, Gardner finished the best of the bowlers with figures of 5-30 from 10 overs.

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Ashleigh Gardner high-fives her teammates after taking a wicket. James Worsfold via Getty Images

While Australia’s top order wobbled slightly with the bat at the WACA on Wednesday, the middle order rescued the innings to position the side 6-298 after 50 overs.

Sutherland passed triple figures in the final over of Australia’s innings before she was run out by Jemimah Rodrigues on the penultimate delivery.

With her knock, which included nine fours and four sixes, the 23-year-old became the first Australian woman to score an ODI century batting at No.5 or lower.

Annabel Sutherland celebrates her century during game three of the women's ODI series between Australia and India at the WACA.

Annabel Sutherland celebrates her century during game three of the women’s ODI series between Australia and India at the WACA.  James Worsfold via Getty Images

Warning signs sounded early when Indian seamer Arundhati Reddy, who did not feature in the two ODIs, ripped through Australia’s top-order with career-best figures of 4-26 from 10 overs.

Only conceding two boundaries from her bowling, Reddy finished with the best figures by a visiting bowler against Australia in women’s ODIs this century.

With Phoebe Litchfield (25), Georgia Voll (26), Ellyse Perry (4) and Beth Mooney (10) all dismissed by Reddy, Sutherland put Australia back on track.

Gardner, 50 runs from 64 deliveries, and McGrath, unbeaten on 56 runs from 50 balls, also helped lay the foundation for Australia’s total.

Openers Litchfield and Voll got the hosts off to a strong start — combining for a 58-run partnership before Reddy saw off both of them in the 11th over.

This triggered a collapse of 4-20 from 35 balls as Perry was knocked over before Mooney found wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh.

Reddy was denied a fifth wicket and Gardner was given a life on 3 when Rodrigues dropped a low chance at mid-on.

Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner celebrate during game three of the women's ODI series between Australia and India at the WACA.

Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner celebrate during game three of the women’s ODI series between Australia and India at the WACA. Janelle St Pierre via Getty Images

Not long after, Sutherland was put down by Minnu Mani at point on 12.

Both proved costly as Sutherland and Gardner steadied with a 96-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

After Gardner sliced a short delivery to Mani at point, stand-in captain McGrath picked up where she left off.

Sutherland and McGrath quickly put together 122 runs — a new Australian record for the biggest sixth-wicket partnership in women’s ODIs — before Sophie Molineux faced one ball at the death.

Chasing a 299-run target, Smriti Mandhana and Ghosh came to the crease for India.

Veteran seamer Megan Schutt quickly bowled Ghosh for 2 but Mandhana dug her heels in for 105 runs from 109 balls.

Smriti Mandhana of India celebrates her century in game three.

Smriti Mandhana of India celebrates her century in game three. James Worsfold via Getty Images

Mandhana’s stand, which included 13 fours and one six on her way to 100, came to an end when a delivery from Gardner hit her back pad and crashed into the middle stump.

A caught and bowled to Alana King dismissed Harleen Deol (39) before Sutherland and Kim Garth combined to see off Harmanpreet Kaur (12).

Deepti Sharma was out for a duck before the last of the recognised Indian batters, Rodrigues (16), skied the ball to be caught and bowled by Schutt.

Gardner then bundled out Mani (8), Saim Thakor (0) and Reddy (5) as she took her first five-wicket haul in one-day cricket.

Souring the win for the Aussies was a left knee injury Voll suffered while fielding. Molineux also left the field injured late in the match.