Image Credit- BCCI
India was ultimately placed under pressure in the Test
after controlling it for almost two days, mainly thanks to Tahlia McGrath’s
fifty-second score in the match and strong efforts from Ellyse Perry and Alyssa
Healy. At the end of the third day in Mumbai, India was only ahead of the pack,
but Harmanpreet Kaur used her skill with the ball to take two wickets late in
the day.
With one day remaining, Australia had scored 233 for
5, or 46 for 5, in their second innings by the time stumps were called.
Ashleigh Gardner, on seven, and Annabel Sutherland, undefeated at twelve, were
at the crease.
After starting the day on 376 for 7, India put 30 more
runs on top of their overnight total to take their lead to 187 before being
bowled out thirty-five minutes later. Pooja Vastrakar started the day with
three fours, but she was three short of a maiden. Test fifty to Australia’s
short-ball strategy, with Kim Garth caught halfway in from the rope at deep
square-leg.
After that, Garth deftly handled Deepti Sharma’s bat
and pad to end her innings at 78, and Sutherland completed the innings with a
short ball that Renuka Singh was only able to gully. In their match against
Australia, India did, however, record their greatest Test score.
In the second innings, Beth Mooney started the innings
off well, hitting two brilliant fours off Vastrakar before smashing Renuka into
the covers. However, there was a brief cognitive decline that she wished to
quickly forget. Mooney foolishly pushed a full delivery from Sneh Rana to Richa
Ghosh. Perhaps believing she had been caught off guard, Mooney then walked out
of her crease with her back to the fielder. Seeing his chance, Ghosh struck
straight at the stumps, finding Mooney well short of her crease.
Then, after misjudging the length of the ball after a
planned reverse sweep attempt, Phoebe Litchfield was outscored by Rana for
eighteen. After a few nervous moments, McGrath and Perry made it to 63 for 2 at
lunch, but they were still down by 124 runs.
But after lunch, India was forced to work. To stifle
the spin and neutralise any threat, McGrath and Perry made effective use of
their reach. Perry opened the workout by hitting a two and a four before
getting serious. When Rana initially slipped and missed a clear opportunity to
her left, McGrath had a life on fifteen. Other than that, the two scarcely
presented any opportunities.
For all their endeavor, It was India who had the last
laugh by snaring Perry in a phase that was Australia’s. Pitcher
Yastika Bhatia smartly held Perry’s excellent tickle after Rana got a length
ball to settle on middle and leg. Australia had an almost flawless session,
scoring 93 runs in 33 overs, with that dismissal being the lone fault.
Everything started to happen as Harmanpreet entered
the attack in the 72nd over. Her first ball nearly struck, but McGrath was
saved by DRS, as the tracker verified the ball was sliding down her leg. But
four balls later, she would fall for 73 after inside-edging a full delivery
back onto her leg stump.
Harmanpreet struck again, dismissing Healy lbw to a
sweep for 32, with the batsman squandering a review in the process. India had
failed to contest a decision against Sutherland. After that, Sutherland and
Gardner only added 12 balls to ensure there was no more damage after they had
withstood 62 balls.