Cricket News, women’s Test Australia India

Cricket News, women’s Test Australia India

Australia have a mountain to move to save the oddball Test in Mumbai after an unbroken 102-run stand from Deepti Sharma and Pooja Vastrakar lifted India to 376 for seven at stumps on day two.

Sharma (70 not out) and Vastrakar (33 not out) came together not long before tea in Mumbai on the back of a collapse that left India on 274 with three wickets passed on in answer to Australia's 219. The strike-bowling pair showcased their batting abilities with career-best scores to render Australia wicketless in the final meeting, pushing India's lead to an imposing 157 runs.

Not long before tea, Ash Gardner (four for 100) single-handedly dragged Australia back into the contest, the principal Test between these two teams on Indian soil since 1984, when a four-match series was drawn nothing all.

With India cruising at 260 for three, Gardner's catch at profound square leg to excuse very much set debutant Richa Ghosh (52) set off a whirlwind of wickets. Gardner then, at that point, struck two times in as many overs with balls that kept low, trapping India captain Harmanpreet Kaur (0) and wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia (one) lbw. Then came the huge scalp of the brilliant Jemimah Rodrigues (72), who speared Gardner to Annabel Sutherland in the covers to have India reeling.

Australia threatened to move the home side in the final meeting, yet they had no answers to Sharma's class and Vastrakar's heart, the couple leaving India very much placed to get their first-at any point win over Australia in quite a while's Tests

Opener Smriti Mandhana had earlier top-scored with an attacking 74 preceding being run out before lunch. On Thursday, Australia's new bad habit captain Tahlia McGrath (50 off 56 balls), captain Alyssa Healy (38) and tail-ender Kim Garth (28 not out) were the main visiting batters to dazzle against a powerful Indian attack drove via seamer Vastrakar, who took a career-best four for 53.