The day started with Indian women resuming their innings on 376/7 and ending it on an imposing total of 406 runs with a decent lead, finding themselves in a favourable position. However, the Australian women, determined to narrow the gap, showcased resilience with notable performances from Tahlia McGrath and Ellyse Perry.
Indian dominance in batting and Australia’s comeback
Following the impressive batting performances from Smriti Mandhana (74), Jemimah Rodrigues (73), and Richa Ghosh (52) for India on Day 2, the formidable base was further strengthened by the commendable efforts of Deepti Sharma (78) and Pooja Vastrakar (47).
The crucial partnership between the duo of Deepti and Pooja significantly bolstered the home side’s position and helped them reach the 400-run mark on Day 3, gaining a strong 187-run lead. Nevertheless, the Australian bowlers still managed to execute a remarkable comeback, preventing India from establishing a substantial lead in the end and bundling them out.
Australia’s response and Tahlia McGrath’s fightback
Despite a strong start by Beth Mooney (33) and Perry (45), Australia found themselves struggling to erase the substantial lead set by India. Wickets fell at regular intervals, but Tahlia McGrath‘s brilliant innings of 73 runs provided a glimmer of hope for the visitors. With this, McGrath also achieved an iconic feat and became the first visiting player to score half-centuries in both innings of a women’s Test in India. Alyssa Healy also contributed with 32 runs.
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India’s bowling brilliance: Harmanpreet Kaur and Sneh Rana shine
In the face of Australia’s determined effort to diffuse India’s lead, the Indian bowlers, led by Sneh Rana and Harmanpreet Kaur, continued their dominance. Harmanpreet and Rana picked up two wickets each, putting the Australians on the backfoot as the day concluded with Australia at 233/5, leading by just 46 runs.
Expectations for the final day
As the final day beckons, India will be eager to restrict Australia to a lead of under 100 runs in the morning session. The bowlers will look to capitalize on the momentum gained and put pressure on the Australian batters. On the other hand, Australia will aim to add crucial runs to their total and bat as long as possible, setting a challenging target for the Indian team.
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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
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