Visakhapatnam, Oct. 13 -- There was no change to India's playing XI against Australia despite their loss to South Africa - no tactical shuffling, no panic. While selection tactics need a rethink still, India's top-order clicking against Australia on Sunday was a reminder of why India were confident of their batting in the build-up to the Women's ODI WorldCup. Yet, despite India's top-order providing them a head start and laying down a 155-run opening partnership off 147 balls - a foundation for what could have been a winning total - the rest of the line-up was not able to capitalise, as Australia eventually won by three wickets. But unlike the last three matches, the openers, vastly different in experience and batting styles, were completely in sync with each other. In the lead up to this World Cup, Smriti Mandhana (80 off 66) and Pratika Rawal (75 off 96) had stitched together a series of record-breaking opening stands. In just 21 ODI innings they have batted together, they have scored 1,520 runs, and have now stitched together 15 fifty-plus opening stands. The management's decision to persist with Pratika, despite her dot-ball issue, is deliberate. It was clear that they value her steadiness over explosiveness, her ability to be a constant presence instead of being a quick match-winner. And in Vizag, she justified that backing. It wasn't a Powerplay blitz but one rooted in balance. In the process, India brought up the fastest fifty of the tournament and the second highest Powerplay total overall. It was almost symbolic as Smriti seemed to be rediscovering her old rhythm and Pratika translating her starts into something substantial. Smriti had looked the best she had in the entire tournament. More relaxed, more herself. The build-up to this match had been dominated by chatter around Australia's left-arm spinners, but Smriti dismissed that narrative in one over with a lofted drive over mid-on, a six down the ground, a pull over square leg off Sophie Molineux. At the other end, Pratika was absorbing pressure. In this tournament, she had made it a habit of getting starts but not carrying on. On Sunday, she was determined to break that pattern. The 25-year-old weathered the Ash Gardner threat early, and then, once set, flipped the script - a four and six in Gardner's second over. The partnership also reminded one of an interesting contrast - the experienced Smriti, playing in her third World Cup, alongside Pratika, the new kid on the block who made her international debut less than a year ago. Despite the difference, there is some kind of symbiosis between the two. In a year where Smriti has scaled new heights - she became the only female cricketer to score 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year, and the youngest and fastest to aggregate 5,000 - it's fitting that much of that freedom has come from having the right partner at the other end. Pratika's growth also mirrors that of a player who knows her game and is willing to fix what's wrong. There are still patches of hesitation, the dot ball phase when she gets stuck in the 30s, but she has begun to find ways through them. As Pratika did her thing on the other end, Smriti looked in control of the tempo, not just of her batting but of the innings itself, as they built India's highest opening stand against Australia in World Cups....