Mandhana scores 38 not out as India Women script historic first Test win over Australia

Mumbai, Dec 24 (IANS) India Women successfully chased 75 runs on the fourth and final day for an eight-wicket win and a historic first-ever Test triumph against Australia Women at the Wankhede Stadium on Christmas Eve on Sunday.

After bundling out Australia for 261 in their second innings in 75 minutes in the morning, India raced to victory half an hour after lunch on the fourth day of the one-off Test as part of the multi-form series.

India had bundled out Australia for 219 on the first day and then posted 406 in their first innings, riding on half-centuries by Deepti Sharma (78), Smriti Mandhana (74), Jemimah Rodrigues (73) and Richa Ghosh (52).

In their first Test in India in four decades, the hosts dominated Australia to score their second successive victory in a fortnight.

Last week, India had defeated England by 347 runs, the biggest win by runs in the history of women’s Test cricket, at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai for their first win against England at home.

Smriti Mandhana lofted Jess Jonassen for a boundary for the winning shot as they reached 75/2 in 18.4 overs with Mandhana remaining unbeaten on 38 with Jemimah Rodrigues not out on 12. Mandhana remained unbeaten on 38 with Jemimah Rodrigues on 12 as India reached the target in 18.4 overs.

With the small crowd erupting with big cheers, Rodrigues hugged Mandhana while skipper Harmanpreet Kaur led the rest of the players and support staff down into the ground to celebrate their victories in back-to-back Tests.

It was a great performance by Harmanpreeet Kaur’s team as the players came up with fighting performances when needed. Like the 122-run partnership between Deepti Sharma and Pooja Vastrakar in the first innings that eventually helped India to a lead of 187 runs.

India started the chase on a poor note when they lost Shafali Verma in the first over after the aggressive batter had struck Kim Garth for a boundary a few balls earlier.

Richa Ghosh had her heart in her mouth when a delivery from Ashleigh Gardner turned sharply and shot off from the rough spot and sailed over the middle and leg and past the keeper for four byes.

A ball later, Richa had a life when Beth Mooney put down a sitter at first slip off a thick outside edge.

Smriti Mandhana, back-to-back fours off Kim Garth — a fine cover drive across the turf for the first and a slap through the covers off a short and wide delivery for the second boundary. But Garth gets the next delivery to hold its line and Safali hangs her bat out, the thin edge is an easy catch for skipper Alyssa Healy to pouch it.

Richa Ghosh had her heart in her mouth when a delivery from Ashleigh Gardner turned sharply and shot off from the rough spot and sailed over the middle and leg and past the keeper for four byes.

A ball later, Richa had a life when Beth Mooney put down a sitter at first slip off a thick outside edge.

Smriti Mandhana struck back-to-back fours off Kim Garth — a fine cover drive across the turf for the first and a slap through the covers off a short and wide delivery for the second boundary.

India were lucky to get a boundary when Tahlia McGrath misfielded off a Richa Ghosh drive races to the boundary in the seventh over as the Indians survived the testing period before lunch.

Richa Ghosh was out for 13, caught by McGrath off Gardner after lunch but Mandhana and Rodrigues struck some superb shots to take the team home, Mandhana lofting it straight over the bowler’s head for the winning shot.

In 10 Tests played between the women’s teams of the two countries before this match, India had lost four and drawn six.

Earlier, Sneh Rana and Rajeshwari Gayakwad claimed two wickets each as India Women bowled out Australia for 261 runs in their second innings.

With the pitch breaking a bit more and the odd delivery shooting up from the rough patches, India got off to a good start as they bagged the sixth Australian wicket in the second over of the day when they used good use of the DRS to see the back of Ashleigh Gardner on the overnight score of 233.

Vastrakar’s fullish delivery landed on the batter’s toe and though the umpire was unmoved, the Indians reviewed the decision and got the decision as no bat was involved and the ball would have crashed into the leg stump.

Jess Jonassen survives a DRS review, as the ball hit the pad off Vastrakar as she tried to flick a delivery. Ball-tracking showed it had pitched on the leg and was signaled not out.

In the next over, Sutherlands used the DRS to get a decision overturned when she missed a drive off a delivery by Renuka Singh that pitched on the middle stump. Ball-tracking showed that it would have missed the leg stump.

The 22-year-old allrounder survived another chance when an edge off Sneh Rana fell just short of Deepti Sharma at first slip.

But the Indians could not be denied for long and they finally got Sutherland, who had slashed Sneh Rana to a glorious boundary, taking away the front foot to drive along the ground to the left of mid-on. Sneh had her revenge in her next over when she ended Sutherland’s 102-ball stay in the middle.

India’s appeal for caught behind was rejected by the umpire but they use the DRS and Ultra Edge shows the ball kissed Sutherland’s glove and popped up for a catch that Yastika Bhatia caught leg-side on the second attempt.

One got led to another as the offie had two-on-two when Alana King jabbed at a tossed-up delivery which spins onto the pad and then rolls through the gap onto the stumps.

Though Kim Garth survived the hat-trick ball, Australia were down to nine wickets when Rajeshwari Gayakwad produced a delivery too good for the tailender.

Gayakwad got her first wicket of the match with a terrific delivery. The left-arm spinner spun one across the face of the bat to hit the off-stump and send Kim Grath back for 4 (6 balls, 1 four).

They eventually ended Australia’s second innings for 261 with Gayakwad producing another brilliant delivery, spinning one through the gap between the bat and pad left by Jess Jonassen to crash into the stumps.

Brief scores: Australia 219 & 261 all out in 105.4 overs (Tahlia McGrath 73, Ellyse Perry 45, Alyssa Healy 32, Beth Mooney 33; Sneh Rana 4-63, Harmanpreet Kaur 2-23, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 2-42) lost to India 406 & 75/2 in 18.3 overs (Smriti Mandhana 389 not out, Jemimah Rodrigues 12 not out; Kim Garth 1-19, Ashleigh Gardner 1-18) by eight wickets

–IANS

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