Australia tallied an emphatic eight-wicket victory over India in the opening ODI at New Chandigarh, completing their World Cup build-up in style. India batted first and scored 281 for 7 in 50 overs, with robust contributions from the top order and some useful cameos towards the end. India received a flying start courtesy of openers Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana, who posted a 114-run stand, their fifth century partnership in only 15 innings shared together. Mandhana scored a fluent 58, while Rawal played anchor with 64. Although the good beginning was made, India ran out of steam towards the middle overs as Australia's spin duo Alana King and Annabel Sutherland put the squeeze on. Harleen Deol helped revive the innings with a 54, while curt runs from Deepti Sharma (20) and Radha Yadav (19) took India past 280. Read also: Former Indian Spinner Harbhajan Set to Contend for BCCI Top Position Australia's response was spearheaded by opener Phoebe Litchfield, who made 88 from 96 balls. She formed a 79-run partnership with Ellyse Perry before Perry retired injured. Litchfield saw through a few dropped catches before finally getting out, but by that time, Australia were in command. Beth Mooney (77*) and Annabel Sutherland (54*) made it a hiccups-free affair, posting an unbeaten 116-run stand to close the match out with 5.5 overs remaining. Mooney's aggressive hit saw the scoring rate remain healthy, while Sutherland went about rotating the strike astutely before reaching her fifty. India's bowling was poor, with misfields and missed catches further damaging their defence. The contrast was evident in the middle overs when Australia added 196 runs for the loss of one wicket compared to India's 152 for three. With this decisive victory, Australia set up a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, revealing India's bowling and fielding weaknesses while displaying their own depth and balance leading up to the World Cup.