Phoebe Litchfield ‘honoured’ by Meg Lanning comparisons

Australia’s 20-year-old batting prodigy has delivered another stunning individual performance to secure an ODI series whitewash.

Phoebe Litchfield says it’s a “huge honour” to be compared to batting great Meg Lanning after her commanding century fired Australia to a 190-run win over India in the third ODI.

Australia secured a series whitewash in Mumbai after the 20-year-old combined with captain Alyssa Healy for a 189-run opening stand to set up a score of 7-338, with India bundled out for 148 in reply.

Litchfield survived more than 30 minutes stranded in the 90s as Australia suffered a collapse of 4-27 to bring up her second ODI century and put the innings back on track with Ash Gardner (30 off 27) as she posted 119 off 125 balls including 16 fours and a six.

The left-hander’s 260 runs at 86.66 had her crowned player of the series as she also became the youngest Australian to pass 50 six times in ODIs, achieving the feat 58 days ahead of a 20-year-old Meg Lanning.

Phoebe Litchfield was named player of the series after she posted her highest ODI score of 119 on the way to securing a 3-0 series win for Australia in Mumbai. Picture: Pankaj Nangia / Getty Images

Litchfield said it was a “cool feeling” to earn comparisons to Lanning and Belinda Clark after so quickly becoming one of Australia’s best players.

“I looked up to Meg, and recently had Belinda Clark work with our Thunder group, so to be mentioned with those names is a huge honour,” she said.

“But I’m trying to take it each day at a time and not think too much into it and just keep scoring runs.”

She said her prolonged time in the 90s was “stressful” but held her nerve after losing a procession of teammates in Healy, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath as India fought back with the ball.

“I thought I was going to bring it up with Pez, that was the fairytale, but it took me a long time to get to the hundred and it was nerve-racking to say the least,” Litchfield said.

“With the wickets falling around me, it was a bit stressful, but I just stayed really calm. I probably scored each run in singles, just wanting to get there and make the most of that big partnership.”

Litchfield’s contribution to a big partnership with Alyssa Healy (right) was her third consecutive innings of more than 50 despite the stifling heat in Mumbai. Picture: Pankaj Nangia / Getty Images

For the second time in two games, Litchfield launched herself at a chance in the covers and claimed a catch horizontal to the ground while diving courageously onto an unused pitch at Wankhede Stadium to remove Amanjot Kaur and leave India 6-102.

“I think the one today was probably more of a reflex catch … probably in the context of the game, last game was up there, but in terms of training, it’s hard to train that,” she said.

Australia was at its most clinical with the ball for the series as Megan Schutt removed both Indian openers in her first spell before Georgia Wareham (3-23) and Alana King (2-21) combined to tear through the middle order.

The match also marked a return to form for Healy, who posted her first score of more than 50 in the format since her devastating innings of 170 in the 2022 World Cup final in New Zealand.

The multi-format tour will now move east to Navi Mumbai for the three T20s beginning on January 6.