IND-W vs AUS-W: One-Off Pink Ball Test ends in draw
Sunday, 3 October 2021 (19:59 IST)
Gold Coast: The One-off Women's D/N Pink Ball Test between India and Australia ended in a stalemate, after the visitors set a largely irrelevant target of 272 in 32 overs.
Despite India declaring twice in the match, India managed to get only two wickets in Australia's second stint before both the sides shook hands an hour before the close of last day's play.
Australia were 2-36 when the match was called off by both the captains.
At tea, Australian captain Megan Lanning declared 136 trailing India in first innings after Ellyse Perry saw her partners falling like pack of cards to the Indian attack.
When Lanning declared the innings, Australia were 241/9 with Perry unconquered with 68 off 203 balls.
India's pace trio caused plenty of problems with their swing and movement, and picked five wickets by conceding only 32 after taking the second new ball.
Indian off spinner Deepti Sharma had Ashleigh Gardner (51) caught low at mid-off by Indian captain Mithali Raj. Gardner was dropped at backward point on 20, but hammered some beautiful boundaries before her dismissal.
Meghna Singh had Annabel Sutherland (17) edging a magnificent out-swinger to wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia to give her first Test wicket.
After Singh (2-54) scalped Sophie Molineux, Pooja Vastraka (3-49) sent back Georgia Wareham caught behind for two in her maiden Test innings.
When Wareham left, Australia needed five runs to avoid the follow on. Darcie Brown ensured it by spanking a boundary, but she did not last long as she was trapped lbw by Sharma (2-36) soon after.
A short time later Lanning declared Australia's first innings.
Openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana put on 70 runs for the first wicket, after displaying some exquisite and agricultural shots.
A big first wicket stand looked in the offing, but Mandhana (31) was holed out at long-on by Gardner off Sophie Molineux.
Yastika Bhatia, who was promoted up the order to accelerate, could not stay at the wicket for long. Gardner got one through the left-hander to make it a quick double strike for the hosts.
After tea, Verma (52) scripted her third Test half ton only in her second match. She was adjudged LBW to a leg break from Wareham, who celebrated her maiden Test wicket.
Punam Raut (41 not out) blasted her way through to maintain India's run rate at around 3.7, but Mithali declared at 135/3 as the final session wore on, leaving the hosts to survive 32 overs under lights.
India need to win all three T20s if they want to lift the CommBank multi-format series trophy. (UNI)
