Harmanpreet says India believe they can beat Australia 'any day'

The last time India won an ODI against Australia at home was in 2007. They've won just one out of 10 ODIs against Australia in the last five years. They'll be facing long odds when the two teams meet again in New Chandigarh on Sunday but India captain Harmanpreet Kaur believes her side can 'beat Australia on any day'

"We are a team that has worked hard throughout the year and are improving day by day," she said. "But Australia have had a good set-up for some years now, and they have been dominating for some years now. We have just come into that race, and have done well in the last one to one-and-a-half years. We were working hard [to beat them before]. But now, we have worked a lot on fielding and fitness, and results are starting to show."

India are coming off a strong period in ODIs: they've lost just two out of the 11 ODIs they've played this year including a recent 2-1 win against England away. This three-match series could be an important marker in the lead-up to the home World Cup which starts on September 30.

"No doubt, they [Australia] have been very dominating, they have played well all over the world and dominated. But we are also as a stage where, as a captain, we have the belief we can beat them on any day," Harmanpreet said. "The processes in the last one-and-a-half years have been good, we have improved quite a lot. Even in England, we beat one of their best sides. These show that we are on the right track. This group of players has played together for a while now. Everyone knows what they need to do for the team. There is belief that we can beat any team on any day, which is very important. If you have the belief, the results follow."

Australia captain Alyssa Healy said this was the "most stable Indian team she has seen."

"It feels like to me in the women's game, India's been a bit of a sleeping giant for a long period of time and probably haven't had the stability that I think they do right now," she said. "They're a really dangerous side and I think they're fully aware of that and what they can do to other teams. We watched them go to England and play some really good cricket and challenge a really good side.

"This is the most stable Indian team I've seen and I think they're in a really good place heading into this World Cup so I'm looking forward to that challenge and like you said, the rivalry continues to grow. I know how much they love beating Australia and I know how good they are in their home conditions and that's really a challenge for us. I think it's going to be a really enjoyable, hard-fought series."

Harmanpreet credited the Women's Premier League (WPL) for bridging the gap between domestic and international cricket. She has noticed younger players coming into the team with more confidence than before.

"I think their [youngsters'] approach has been very special to see, especially as a captain," Harmanpreet said. "When I look to 4-5 years ago, we've been talking about the gap between domestic and international cricket, so it's difficult for a player to transition. In the last 5-6 years, we have been playing back-to-back games and it has also been telecast. The girls who are playing now are ready and know how to push themselves for the international level.

"We can see that in players like Kranti [Goud] and Pratika [Rawal] - they look ready. It's not that they need time or opportunities - the way they have prepared themselves, they are showing they are ready for the opportunity. We were hoping that something like the WPL would start for a long time so that the gap between international and domestic cricket reduces, and we have seen that in the last three years. I hope they keep performing like this."

Australia have not played an ODI since January this year. But for Healy, that's not a big issue. While she's got a unit that's played together for a long time, she also said Australia may rotate players in the three ODIs, especially with left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux out of this series and in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup.

"It's been a little while since we've played cricket together as a group but in saying that, the group's in a really great place to tackle this World Cup but also the ODI series," Healy said. "India are probably red-hot favourites in their own conditions coming into a World Cup but I feel like the squad of 15 players we've got to contribute in this series is really well-placed. I think ironically with the 15 players we've got I think we can pick a best XI and use all 15, so I think we're pretty lucky in that regard.

"But obviously playing for Australia at any moment in time is an important feature no matter if there's points attached to it or not. So we'll obviously be playing our best XI we can but it's also a good opportunity for us to try a few different things and get some different combinations in place looking ahead to what is a big four to five weeks after this series. So experimentation is probably a big word but you might see a little bit of rotation here."

Harmanpreet indicated India may look to give all the players in the squad a chance too. Back in the side is fast bowler Renuka Singh, whose return from a lengthy injury layoff will benefit the other bowlers in the side.

"Renuka's played a very important role in the side always, really happy she's back in the side," Harmanpreet said. "She has worked really hard. She's keen to be part of the team. She was the one who was leading our medium pacer department so it feels good that she's back. It's good for people like Kranti and Arundhati [Reddy] too, she played a big role in that aspect too.

"This series is very important for us. We are happy we got the opportunity to play one of the best teams before going for the World Cup. These three games are important and we are thinking of giving opportunity to everyone, so that everyone's fresh for the World Cup."