History is made! The India women’s cricket team has secured their first-ever Test match and series win against Australia. It will be a day to remember in Indian cricket folklore. The day when Harmanpreet Kaur and co. slayed Alyssa Healy’s juggernaut Australia. Starting Day 4 with Australia 46 runs ahead (233/5), it wasn’t long before the visitors succumbed to India’s spinners in the IND vs AUS Women Test in Mumbai.
Australia had no answers for Indian spin twins Sneh Rana and Rajeshwari Gayakwad. The duo claimed the final five Aussie wickets for just 28 runs. This meant that the India women’s cricket team needed just 75 runs to win the IND vs AUS Women’s Test and seal the series at 1-0.
Spin dominates as Australian batters struggle
In the space of 10 balls, Australia lost their first wicket of Day 4. The visitors had trouble facing spin on the dry day four pitch but it was 1st innings hero, Pooja Vastrakar who gave India the breakthrough.
However, more so than the bowlers, it was Australia’s middle and lower order’s ineptitude to play spin that led to their demise. Annabel Sutherland gloved a wide ball outside leg stump to the keeper while Alana King somehow tapped a full ball outside off to the stumps.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s guile proved to be good for Kim Garth and Jess Jonassen, who were clean-bowled. The lower-order collapse in the second inning wasn’t too dissimilar to their first-inning middle-order collapse, which reduced them from 143-4 to 198-9.
A walk in the park for Indian batters
The Indian batters made short of the target set by the visitors. Although they hit a snag early in the 4th inning, losing Shafali Verma in the very first over, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana stepped up and took control of the match. The southpaw opener was joined by debutant Richa Ghosh in the middle, who played second foil perfectly.
A 50-run stand between Richa and Smriti saw India close in a famous victory. With just 20 runs left to win, Richa was dismissed by Ashleigh Gardner. With minimal pressure and two technically strong batters in the middle, India cruised to an 8-wicket victory in the IND vs AUS Women Test.
IND vs AUS Women Test: Brief Scores
Australia 1st innings: 219/10 (Tahlia McGrath 50; Pooja Vastrakar 53/4)
India 2nd innings: 406/10 (Deepti Sharma 78; Ashleigh Gardner 100/4)
Australia 3rd innings: 261/10 (ahlia McGrath 73; Sneh Rana 63/4)
India 4th innings: 75/2 (Smriti Mandhana 38; Ashleigh Gardner 1/18)
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