WOMEN’S WORLD CUP | Batting depth allows us to put pressure on the bowlers: Sutherland

When India lost its fourth wicket against England in a run chase of 289 at the Holkar Stadium in the Women’s World Cup on Sunday, it just needed another 55 runs from 52 balls.

When Australia lost its fourth wicket in a run chase of 245 against England here on Wednesday, it still required 177 runs from 205 deliveries. While Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. went on to botch up their pursuit and endure a gut-wrenching defeat, the Australians cruised to the finish line in 40.3 overs without losing another wicket thereafter.

In a nutshell, the contrasting outcomes for the chasing team in the space of four days at the same venue boils down to batting depth. It is an aspect that differentiates the defending champion and seven-time winner from all the other teams in the 50-over event, aptly exemplified by Ashleigh Gardner scoring her second century of the campaign at No. 6 on Wednesday.

It has propelled the 28-year-old star all-rounder to third in the list of top 10 run-getters (265 runs in four innings) in the tournament. Nobody else in this category bats outside the top four.

Ashleigh Gardner of Australia celebrates her century alongside Annabel Sutherland during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 match between Australia and England at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on October 22, 2025 in Indore, India.
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Complementing Gardner’s dazzling stroke-play was Annabel Sutherland, who hit 98 n.o. at No. 5, in an unbroken 180-run stand, off just 148 deliveries. The highlight of the fifth-wicket partnership was their propensity to keep finding the boundary when the pressure was on.

“It’s something we talk about as a team. We’ve got real depth in our order, so we can afford to put pressure on the bowlers and really keep the scoreboard moving. The way Ash played shows that she keeps the game moving forward, and it was pretty fun to watch,” Sutherland told the media after Australia’s victory.

“Our batting depth just allows us to play to our strengths and know that we can trust our game.”