After comfortable victories in the first two Tests of their home series against Australia, it looked like India would be on the way to a simple series win.

The Baggy Green came back with a vengeance in the third Test in Indore though, winning by nine wickets after limiting India to a total of just 272 runs from their two innings.

It provides more drama for the fourth and final Test, when the home team will be looking to avoid suffering defeat in multiple Test matches in a series in India for the first time in over 10 years. 

India have not lost more than once in a men's Test series on home soil since going down 2-1 to England in November-December of 2012.

The Border-Gavaskar series finishes in Ahmedabad, which has seen spin dominate in previous Tests.

Surfaces have been almost the sole subject of discussion around the matches so far, but India captain Rohit Sharma just wants to focus on playing cricket.

"Honestly the pitch talk is getting too much, every time we play in India focus is only on the pitch. We focus too much on the pitch in India," he said.

"I don't think that is necessary. Honestly speaking, these are the kind of pitches we want to play on.

"This is our strength, so when you're playing at your home, you always play to your strength, not worry about what people outside are talking about."

It was a good job Australia were able to restrict India to so few runs in the third Test, as their batters have struggled throughout the series, only scoring more than 200 in an innings once.

They have scored an average of 25.3 runs per wicket in men's Tests in 2023, their lowest rate since 1956 when they averaged just 21.6 runs per wicket.

The tourists will also be up against history, having not won multiple games within a single series in India since 1969.

Their spinners will likely be needed to step up again, with the emergence of Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann alongside Nathan Lyon proving a revelation in the third Test, with the trio taking 18 of the 20 India wickets to fall between them.

Murphy wants to make the most of it, saying: "I haven't thought too far ahead but when you look, Gaz [Lyon] is still bowling as good as he ever has so when this series does come to an end it is going to slow down a little, it's quite rare other places in the world to play two spinners."

Can Kohli rediscover form?

Virat Kohli has been unable to find his best form of late, averaging 22.2 in the series and without a half-century in five innings.

However, he has made a good connection on 82 per cent of his 219 balls faced, the highest of any player to have faced at least 60 balls this series, so just needs to find a way to translate that into more runs.

Lyon close to becoming number one tourist in India

The experienced Lyon was sensational in the last Test, particularly in the second innings as he claimed figures of 8-64.

The 35-year-old has taken 53 Test wickets in India, the second most of any visiting player in the history of the men's format, with only England's Derek Underwood (54) having taken more.

Pat Cummins will not return to India before the fourth and final Test, meaning Steve Smith will again captain Australia in Ahmedabad.

Cummins headed back to Sydney after the second Test – a second defeat – to be with his mother, who is in palliative care with breast cancer.

Former skipper Smith led the Australia team in the absence of the regular captain and oversaw a dominant nine-wicket win in the third Test in Indore.

That victory secured Australia's place in the World Test Championship final, but they need another result in the final match of the series to earn a draw.

Smith will again deputise for Cummins, Australia confirmed on Monday.

Cummins, who is also the ODI captain, has been included in Australia's 50-over squad, with no decision yet made on his involvement in the white-ball series.

Fast bowler Jhye Richardson has withdrawn from that ODI series due to a hamstring injury with Nathan Ellis replacing him in the squad.

Mark Wood is not expecting to play a full role for England in the Ashes against Australia given Ben Stokes' wealth of Test bowling options.

The Durham quick was England's leading wicket-taker with 17 dismissals as the tourists succumbed to a 4-0 defeat in Australia in the 2021-22 Ashes series.

Wood has only played three internationals in the red-ball arena since that humiliation against England's old foes, in an attempt to manage his workload after repeated injury issues.

James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson continue to impress under captain Stokes in coach Brendon McCullum's side. England could also call on the likes of Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, Sam Curran, Saqib Mahmood, Chris Woakes and the fit-again Jofra Archer.

With such depth of bowling talent, Wood acknowledged there is little chance of him playing all five Tests against Australia in the home series that starts on June 16 at Edgbaston.

"I will definitely not play all five [Ashes Tests]," Wood told reporters in Chattogram, where he is away touring with England's white-ball team against Bangladesh.

"I was delighted to play four out of five in Australia. I was knackered, wrecked, exhausted, [but] that was a big tick in my box to say that in a big series, I can do it, if Stokesy or Baz [McCullum] want me to play.

"More than likely, with the bowling stock we have, especially at home, I probably won't even play four. They might even want me for one or two, if they need a pace element."

The frontline trio of Anderson, Broad and Robinson again combined well in the recent 1-1 Test series draw with New Zealand, in which England suffered a dramatic one-run defeat in the decisive second meeting.

"[Stokes] might want to mix it up to keep people fresh, but if people are playing well, I might not play any," Wood added, acknowledging the quality of his bowling partners.

"I very much doubt, from the way they have managed me, [that I will play] four. If they want three or four, I will put my hand up."

Wood was afforded a two-month break before the tour of Bangladesh to recover both mentally and physically.

The 33-year-old heads to the Indian Premier League with Lucknow Super Giants after England's ongoing white-ball series, before the Ashes, a set of limited-overs fixtures and the 50-over Cricket World Cup in India follow.

"With my record, I might get [through] two of them," Wood said.

He added: "I've done interviews in the past where I've said, 'Of course I'm thinking about the Ashes in the background', [but] I'm actually not.

"There's so much going on before: we've got this, the T20s, the IPL and then the Ashes after that.

"I've got the birth of my daughter in between that, so it's going to be a massive time, I'm not really thinking that far ahead."

Ricky Ponting believes David Warner missed the ideal chance to retire in style at the SCG after his double-century at the MCG in December.

Warner plundered his way to 200 from 255 deliveries in the Boxing Day Test, which was his 100th appearance for his country in the format, as Australia dismantled South Africa by an innings and 182 runs.

That knock came at the end of a difficult 2022 for the opening batter, who had scored only two half-centuries in his previous 19 innings.

The 36-year-old was included in Australia's squad for their tour of India, but managed just 26 runs in three visits to the crease before suffering concussion and subsequently withdrawing.

Former Australia captain Ponting thinks the perfect opportunity for Warner to bow out was at the end of the South Africa series, with his home ground in Sydney hosting the final match.

Ponting told the ICC Review podcast: "Look, I was on radio a couple of days ago, back here in Australia, and I thought the absolute best time for Davey to retire, if he was thinking about it at all, was after the Sydney Test match here in Australia.

"He'd just played his 100th Test in Melbourne, and obviously got 200 in the first innings down there. And to bow out in front of his home crowd is obviously the way that every player would like to finish their careers.

"Who knows now that opportunity might not come around again for Davey, you know. That's nearly another 12 months away."

Australia will feature in this year's ICC Test Championship final at The Oval, and Ponting thinks Warner will play in that match if he is fit.

Indeed, Ponting says it could well act as an audition for the Ashes, which start at Edgbaston on June 16.

"They're probably going to have similar things to think about when they get to the UK because David's record in the UK is not as strong as it is in some other places around the world," said Ponting.

"I think his career deserves to finish the way he wants it to.

"Sort of not to be dropped or tapped on the shoulder in the middle of an overseas tour and have his career end in that way. That's why I just hope he can find it within himself to score a lot of runs between now and next summer."

Australia stand-in captain Steve Smith hailed "a complete performance" as the tourists raced to a nine-wicket win over India in Indore to book a place in the World Test Championship final.

In a low-scoring contest at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Australia set the tone on day one by bowling out India for 109, before going on to build an 88-run first-innings advantage.

Eight wickets in the second innings from Nathan Lyon helped to dismiss India for 163, and that left Smith's team needing just 76 for victory on Friday.

They lost Usman Khawaja early, but Travis Head made 49 not out and Marnus Labuschagne an unbeaten 28 to calm any nerves, with Australia reaching a match-winning 78-1 in 18.5 overs.

Lyon was named player of the match, and Smith said: "Nathan got all the rewards with eight wickets, but I think our bowlers as a collective were really good."

He praised the attack one by one, before adding of Australia's effort: "It was a complete performance in the end."

Smith has stepped in to lead the team since Pat Cummins travelled home to Australia for family reasons.

"We're thinking of Patty back home," Smith said at the post-match presentation. "He's had to go home, so our thoughts are with him.

"I really enjoyed this week, I like captaining in this part of the world, I feel like I understand the conditions really well and the intricacies of the game that need to happen ball in and ball out. I think I did a reasonable job this week.

"We're really proud to have clinched a spot in the World Test Championship in a couple of months' time."

It could be India awaiting Australia at the Oval in London in June, and that certainly will be the case if the home side win the fourth Test that begins at the Narendra Modi Stadium next Thursday.

Smith and Australia want to level the series though, having trimmed their arrears to 2-1 with this victory.

"Hopefully we can put up a similar performance and finish the series really well," Smith said.

India skipper Rohit Sharma said his team would "need to regroup and try to understand what we did right in the first two Test matches as well".

He said India have "got to be brave... which I thought we were not".

Lyon's 11 wickets in the match have made him the most successful bowler in Tests between India and Australia, taking him two past Anil Kumble's haul of 111 wickets.

The spinner said: "I just love challenging myself at this level and get a big thrill out of that."

Australia completed a nine-wicket victory over India early on day three of the third Test in Indore to seal a place in June's World Test Championship final.

The tourists required just 76 runs on Friday at Holkar Cricket Stadium and reached that target before lunch to trim India's lead to 2-1 in the four-match series.

Travis Head made 49 not out and Marnus Labuschagne an unbeaten 28, with Usman Khawaja (0) the only man to fall early on in a routine victory stroll.

Australia, who had lost their past three Tests played in Asia, will now face either India or Sri Lanka in the World Test Championship final at the Oval in London.

India require victory over Australia in next week's fourth and final Test to book their place in the showpiece contest.

Eight wickets from Nathan Lyon, who was named player of the match, left Australia on the verge of victory at the end of day two.

A challenging pitch gave India slim hope of at least dragging out day three, and they started strongly as Khawaja was caught behind by KS Bharat for a second-ball duck.

But Labuschagne saw off some tricky early bowling to keep Australia on course and shared an unbroken stand of 78 with Head to see his side home in just 18.5 overs.

Australia snap losing run

This was a welcome victory for Australia, who avoided losing four Tests in a row against India in the format for the first time ever.

India can have no complaints with the margin of defeat as they missed out on a fourth Test victory in a row for the first time since a seven-game stretch in 2019.

Labuschagne and Head hold firm

After strong work on Thursday from Lyon, whose total of 113 career wickets in Australia versus India Tests is a record in the rivalry between these teams, it was left to Labuschagne and Head to get Australia easily over the line.

Their 78-run partnership ranks as the highest unbeaten stand by a batting pair in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between Australia and India, which will go down to the wire.

Nathan Lyon took eight wickets on a dramatic day two of the third Test to leave Australia needing 76 runs to beat India and keep the series alive.

Sixteen wickets fell on a captivating second day at Holkar Cricket Stadium, where the tourists collapsed to 197 all in reply to India's 109.

Ravichandran Ashwin (3-44) and Umesh Yadav (3-12) took Australia's last six wickets for only 11 runs to seemingly leave the game in the balance.

With sharp turn and variable bounce to contend with, Cheteshwar Pujara made 59 but India were skittled out for 163 in their second innings in Indore, Lyon claiming a magnificent 8-64 to leave Australia facing only a small run chase to make it 2-1.

Ashwin ended a stand of 40 by removing Peter Handscomb (19) after Australia resumed on 156-4 and Umesh trapped Cameron Green leg before in the next over.

Umesh cleaned up Mitchell Starc and Todd Murphy as the tourists folded after the drinks break, with Ashwin on the money as he struck Alex Carey in front, before bowling Lyon to end the innings in a flash.

Starting their second innings with a deficit of 88, India lost openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma bowled and lbw respectively to the excellent Lyon.

Virat Kohli followed for only 13 after being struck on the pad in front of middle stump attempting to pull a Matthew Kuhnemann delivery that kept low and India were 78-4 when Lyon sent Ravindra Jadeja trudging off.

Shreyas Iyer made a brisk 25 before falling to Mitchell Starc and Lyon continued to apply the pressure, seeing the back of Srikar Bharat and Ashwin.

Pujara stood firm for a battling half-century but his knock was ended when Steve Smith produced a brilliant diving catch at leg slip for the relentless Lyon, who dismissed Umesh and Mohammed Siraj without scoring to clean up the India innings.

Ashwin into the top three

The 36-year-old Ashwin took his incredible tally of international wickets to 689 in his 269th match to become India's third-highest wicket-taker across all formats.

He surpassed the great Kapil Dev's haul of 687 in all formats for India, making the most of the conditions after Jadeja (4-78) had taken all four wickets for India on day one.

Only Anil Kumble (953) and Harbhajan Singh (707) have claimed more scalps for India in all formats combined.

Lyon Australia's spin king

It was Kuhnemann who starred for the tourists by claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in only his second Test on day one, but fellow spinner Lyon was the main man on Thursday.

He bowled with great guile and control, helping himself taking his 23rd haul in the longest format after picking up three wickets on day one.

Lyon now has more wickets against India across all formats than any other Australia bowler after moving past Brett Lee's total of 111, having claimed his second eight-wicket haul in India.

Ben Stokes is not risking fitness for this year's Ashes series by playing in the Indian Premier League, insists England head coach Brendon McCullum.

England's Test captain has signed for Chennai Super Kings with the IPL season starting on March 31, ahead of the Ashes getting underway on June 16 in Birmingham.

Stokes struggled with his left knee in England's Test defeat to New Zealand in Wellington, where he could only bowl two overs while batting for 33 runs on the final day.

But McCullum has no concerns.

"I don't think he's jeopardising the Ashes. The skipper has a strong mind, and he knows how to get right for the big moments," he told reporters.

"In fact I look forward to watching him play for Chennai, and see him play cricket without the captaincy and having to worry about everyone else.

"We know when he comes back to us, he'll have that bit between his teeth. I also believe the Ashes is the script the skipper is waiting to write."

Stokes has delivered in huge moments for England, from starring in their 2019 World Cup victory to stunning Australia in a famous Ashes Test at Headingley when the series was last played on English soil four years ago.

He also scored an unbeaten 52 to propel England to victory at the T20 World Cup last year and has become the quickest Test captain to reach 10 wins.

At Chennai, he will play under head coach Stephen Fleming, who was once New Zealand team-mates with McCullum.

"I've got a tee-time with him, so I'll be making sure he looks after the skipper," said McCullum of Fleming.

"Chennai have a very good set-up, and they have an outstanding leader in Flem. He sees the big picture in everything, so I've no concerns."

Australia won the last Ashes 4-0 but after developing a distinct style of play since McCullum's appointment, England look primed to take the fight to the tourists. 

"This team has grown over the last eight or nine months," McCullum added. "I think the players have become more at ease with how we're playing, and it's become more authentic.

"Our style certainly does give us the best chance of being able to topple a good Australian side.

"We know it won't be easy but with eight or nine months development of that style under our belts, we should be hard to beat. Bring it on!"

Matt Kuhnemann starred on the first day of the third test at Holkar Stadium as Australia reached stumps in control of India.

Not even in the squad for the start of the series, Kuhnemann bowled a five-for on a poor pitch as India's first innings in Indore amounted to just 109 in 33.2 overs.

Marnus Labuschagne (31) and Usman Khawaja (60) then steered Australia into a comfortable position with a 96-run stand, as India's flagrant use of the DRS caused issues for the hosts.

While Ravindra Jadeja bowled Labuschagne to end that pairing, the tourists remained strong to finish the day 156-4 and hold a 47-run lead.

Australia came out of the blocks flying to take five wickets in the first hour, and seven in the first session.

Kuhnemann (5-16) and Nathan Lyon (3-35) had three wickets each, while Todd Murphy (1-23) trapped Virat Kohli lbw (22) to leave India 84-7 at lunch, before the hosts finished all out for 109 in just over a session.

India's response with the ball started well, Jadeja (4-64) taking Travis Head (9) lbw with just 12 runs on the board, and then bowled Labuschagne off a no ball – a mistake that proved costly.

Poor decision-making on DRS also contributed to the hosts' downfall, losing two reviews and opting not to challenge the umpire's call for an lbw on Labuschagne, which replays showed would have been out.

Australia welcomed those errors, Khawaja hitting a half century before being caught by Shubman Gill to put the tourists well on their way to fighting back in the series.

Kuhnemann's fine day

In just his second Test, Kuhnemann oversaw the undoing of India to finish with figures of 5-16.

Australia's charge saw six wickets tumble in just 22 overs, the most India have lost in the first innings of a match in this format since the beginning of 2007.

Jadeja's record

On a disappointing day for India, there was at least some comfort with the performance of Jadeja, who took all four of Australia's wickets.

He became just the second Indian player – and 11th cricketer overall – to take 500 wickets and score over 5,000 runs in the international game.

Australia are persisting with their three-pronged spin attack of their third Test against India, while the hosts made two changes in their side in Indore on Wednesday.

Trailing 2-0 in the series, and with captain Pat Cummins returning home for personal reasons, Australia welcomed back Mitchell Starc from a finger injury as the only full-time pacer bowler in the line-up.

Also coming into the visiting side is all-rounder Cameron Green, with the injured David Warner joining Cummins as the outs, leaving Travis Head and Usman Khawaja to open the batting. Matt Renshaw had replaced Warner mid-game in the second Test as a concussion sub.

Retaining their places are the spinning trio of Nathan Lyon, Todd Murphy and Matt Kuhnemann, while the addition of Green for Warner gives the Australians another weapon in their pace attack.

For India, K.L. Rahul was dropped and Mohammed Shami was rested, with opening batsman Shubman Gill and fast bowler Umesh Yadav taking their place. India won the toss and elected to bat.

Steve Smith will tell Australia to learn from their Delhi mistakes and play at their own pace as they battle for pride in the third Test against India.

From 85-2 in their second innings last time out, Australia crumbled to 113 all out, and India rolled to a six-wicket win that allowed them to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The best Australia can do is draw the series, and stand-in captain Smith wants to see more resilience from the batters, including himself among those that fluffed their lines last time out.

In fact, he was the lowest scorer of all Australia's specialist batters last time out, with nought followed by nine, and Smith being pinned lbw by Ravichandran Ashwin when sweeping was the trigger for the tourists' implosion.

Smith said on Tuesday: "I don't think there's been too many times I've walked off the field and I've gone, 'What the hell am I doing?'."

He was left "bedazzled" and "pretty angry" with his own blunder, adding: "It wasn't my finest moment.

"We probably just rushed things a little bit, and it's something we'll talk about. We don't have to play at such a high tempo and risky tempo."

Smith, who says Australia must "learn to adapt a little bit better", has not managed a half-century in his last five Test innings in India, his longest such barren stretch in the country.

He has never gone six successive Test innings in any country without making at least a fifty, so he has one last chance to avoid this being the first time.

India's 2-0 series lead means they have won their last three men's Tests against Australia, having also tasted victory in Brisbane in January 2021. Their longest winning streak in Tests against Australia is four matches.

Australia are without regular skipper Pat Cummins, who has returned home for personal reasons, but Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc are poised to return from injury.

The tussle in Indore could see Virat Kohli become just the fifth man to reach 4,000 runs in Tests played in India, as he stands 77 runs short of that milestone.

India captain Rohit Sharma will aim to close out a series victory at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, and there is the tantalising prospect of these teams meeting again in the World Test Championship final at the Oval in June.

That is in the back of minds for now, but will come to the forefront soon enough, possibly if India secure the series before the fourth match at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.

The prospect of India asking for a green pitch for that game, rather than the spinner-friendly surfaces they have been playing on so far, has been teased already.

Rohit wants India to be smart about their preparation for a likely trip to London, and while they would not be able exactly replicate English conditions, a green pitch would at least to some extent simulate what likely awaits them.

The India skipper said it was "definitely a possibility", adding: "If we do what we do here and we get the result we want, we might kick off doing something different in Ahmedabad."

He pointed to India and Australia having plenty of prior experience of performing in England that could stand them in good stead.

"It's not going to be alien conditions as such for both teams," Rohit said, "so it will be a good contest between the teams, whoever the two teams are."

Australia captain Pat Cummins will miss the third Test against India to remain with his family as his mother is seriously ill.

The paceman flew home this week and has decided to stay in Australia, revealing his mother is in palliative care.

Steve Smith will step in and skipper the tourists in a third Test that starts at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore next Wednesday.

Cummins said: "I have decided against returning to India at this time as my mother is ill and in palliative care. I feel I am best being here with my family.

"I appreciate the overwhelming support I have received from Cricket Australia and my team-mates. Thanks for your understanding."

Australia are set to welcome back Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green as they strive to battle back from 2-0 down after the duo recovered from finger injuries.

Spinner Mitchell Swepson re-joined the squad after flying home before the second Test for the birth of his first child.

Josh Hazlewood, David Warner and Ashton Agar have all made early departures from the tour.

Glenn Maxwell says his broken leg has not healed as fast as he had hoped as he prepares to make his Australia comeback.

The all-rounder missed the T20 World Cup on home soil after suffering a fractured left tibia last November.

Maxwell, who sustained the damage at a 50th birthday party, was back in action for Victoria against South Australia in a Sheffield Shield match this week, making only five runs in two innings.

The 34-year-old will be back in international action next month after being named in the Australia squad to face India in an ODI series that starts in Mumbai on March 17.

Maxwell would like to have been out in the middle earlier but is ready to make up for lost time.

He said: "It probably hasn't happened as fast as I would have liked. I would have liked to be playing cricket a little bit earlier.

"But I think the fact that I knew the timeline for the one-day side – and that was probably the realistic goal – I was able to manipulate my rehab programme to fit the timeline that I was racing against.

"Having not played for three-and-a-half months, I made a conscious decision to make sure I filled up my calendar with cricket to lead into that World Cup at the back end of the year.

"Obviously there's the one-day series which is going to be a big series, especially with the World Cup in India at the back end of the year.

"It will be a good opportunity for us to try and work out some things and get our game plan ready for the back end of the year, as well as having the IPL straight after it.

"[It is about] getting used to the Indian conditions again and spending a lot of time working on my game over there, which will then lead into to the Blast and the Hundred."

Maxwell is looking forward to spending more time at the crease after failing twice at number six for Victoria this week.

"Probably, mentally, batting in that position, I wasn't quite there," he said. "In the nets, you can do all the hard work, but to try and get that mental application back in a game is obviously a different thing.

"So that's probably something I'm working on over the next few games – club cricket on Saturday and the Shield game as well. A few more hits out there, and just try and build up that match intensity."

All-rounders Mitch Marsh and Glenn Maxwell will make their comebacks from injury having been named in Australia's 16-man squad to face India in a three-game ODI series next month.

The inclusion of Marsh and Maxwell headlined the group, which will be led by Pat Cummins with David Warner and Ashton Agar also named after departing the Test squad this week.

Marsh and Maxwell missed the entirety of the 2022-23 Big Bash League due to ankle and leg injuries.

Maxwell returned for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield this week, while Marsh is in line to commence playing with Western Australia in the Marsh Cup this weekend.

Fast bowler Jhye Richardson is also named after an injury-interrupted past few months, with fellow quick Josh Hazlewood ruled out due to an Achilles issue.

Chair of Selectors George Bailey said: "With the World Cup just over seven months away, these matches in India are an important step in our preparation. Glenn, Mitchell and Jhye are all important players in what we think the squad might look like come October.

"It would be great for Josh to be part of this series but we have taken a conservative view ahead of a very important winter in England of which he will be an integral part."

The ODI series runs from March 17 to 20 in Mumbai, Vizag and Chennai following the conclusion of the four-game Test series which India currently leads 2-0.

Australia ODI squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Despite another decent display, Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz suffered their third straight defeat in the FFA Nations Cup going down 3-0 to hosts Australia on Wednesday at the Newcastle International Sports Centre.

The victory for Australia meant that Australia would win the trophy in the four-team tournament that also involved Spain and the Czech Republic.

Goals from Katrina Gorry, Alex Chidiac and Caitlin Foord settled the matter for Australia against the Caribbean team that played well enough but for the second of three matches, failed to find the net.

The Reggae Girlz started well with Jody Brown, Spence and Kayla McCoy-McKenna posing threats that Australia managed to thwart. In defence, especially in the first quarter of the match, Jamaica were organized, repelling Australia’s attacks with aplomb.

Australia, however, broke the deadlock in the 28^th minute with a 25m rocket from Gorry that flew past Rebecca Spencer in the Jamaica goal.

Growing in confidence, the hosts took a 1-0 lead into the half-time break.

Australia would double their lead in the 56^th minute after a brilliant build up that saw Gorry take the ball to the byline before pulling it back to Chidiac who beats two defenders and power the ball into the roof of the net from five metres.

Australia sealed the issue in the 69^th when Foord and Sam Kerr execute a 1-2 pass at the edge of the box around Jamaica’s defence after which Foord curled one from 20m past Spencer.

Jody Brown was denied a consolation three minutes from time when goalkeeper Arnold parried her shot from just inside the box around the upright.