India came out all guns blazing from the word do as the 155-run opening stand between Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana set it up for the others to contribute as India posted a massive score. It could have been better for India and worse for Australia, but Annabel Sutherland stood tall and rescued Australia with a 5-wicket haul that stopped India at 330 where 350 was possible at one stage. This game can go either ways as 330 is not safe against this Australian batting line-up.
Pratika Rawal & Smriti Mandhana give India a solid start in powerplay
Put into bat first, Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana came out to open the batting for India while Kim Garth had ball in hand for Australia. Mandhana got off the mark in a delightful fashion as she crunched it through the covers for a boundary. Megan Schutt had ball in hand from the other end. She bowled a miserly over. Garth bowled a miserly over as well. Rawal broke the shackles as she flicked away through midwicket and mid-on for a boundary off Megan Schutt.
Garth continued as Rawal flicked it away to the left of deep square leg for a boundary. Schutt continued and bowled a quiet over. Ashleigh Gardner came into the attack as spin was introduced into the attack. Gardner started with a decent over. Spin from both ends now as Sophie Molineux came into the attack. Mandhana welcomed Molineux with a boundary by clearing her front leg and heaved it over midwicket. Mandhana was not done yet as she went after Molineux by clearing her front leg and launched it over long-on for the maximum. Mandhana then pounced on Molineux again by pulling it behind square on the leg side.
Gardner continued as Rawal hit it powerfully and smashed it to the left of mid-off. McGrath tried her best and couldn’t stop the ball. Rawal then came down the track and smoked it down the ground over long-on for the maximum. The 50 came up for India as well in 8.4 overs. Molineux came to bowl the final over of powerplay as Mandhana rocked back and punched it between cover and point for a boundary. At the end of 10 overs and the mandatory powerplay, India were 58/0.
Rawal, Mandhana 50s drives India forward to continue the momentum
Annabel Sutherland came into the attack post the first powerplay. Sutherland started her spell with a miserly over. Gardner continued and bowled a quiet over. Sutherland continued and Rawal broke the shackles by pulling the short ball and hitting it to the right of deep square leg. Gardner moved across swiftly but failed to get to the ball.
Mandhana then took on Gardner by shuffling across and ramping it over the keeper and fine leg region for a boundary. Sutherland continued and kept things under check from her end. Mandhana then took on Gardner by rocking back and punching it between cover and point for a boundary. Mandhana then pounced on Gardner again by staying back and punched it between cover point and point for a boundary.
Sutherland continued where Rawal played the short arm jab by clearing her front leg and pulled it away to the midwicket region for a boundary. Drinks was taken with India at 90/0 in 17 overs. Tahlia McGrath came into the attack next. Rawal was given a reprieve as King dropped her at short midwicket off McGrath where she dived but could not hold on there. Mandhana then reached her half-century off 46 balls, her first in this World Cup. Rawal then took the aerial route and got down on one knee and heaved it over deep midwicket for a boundary.
The 100 came up for India in 18.4 overs. Mandhana then hit Garth by swivelling across and pulling it to deep backward square leg for a boundary. McGrath continued and bowled a quiet over as India reached 107/0 in 20 overs. Garth continued as Rawal got to her fifty in 69 balls as she lofted it with a straight bat over the bowler’s head for one bounce and over the ropes. Mandhana then took the attack to Garth and lofted it over extra covers for a maximum as the southpaw got to 5000 runs in ODI cricket.
Rawal took the attack to McGrath and she pulled it to deep backward square leg for a boundary. McGrath gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side. Molineux came back into the attack as she bowled a low full toss to Mandhana who got down on one knee and heaved it in the gap between deep midwicket and long-on for a boundary. McGrath continued as Mandhana sliced it over backward point as the ball cleared Perry for the maximum. Rawal then drilled McGrath down the ground for a boundary.
Molineux then finally provided Australia the breakthrough as Mandhana departed for 80 off 66 balls with 9 fours and 3 sixes to her name. Molieneux bowled full and wide outside off-stump from over the wicket. Mandhana got down on a knee and looked to go big over deep midwicket with a slog sweep. She didn’t time well and ended up chipping it straight to Phoebe Litchfield at deep midwicket who made no mistake. Harleen Deol came out to bat next. She got off the mark as well. At the halfway stage of the innings, India were 156/1 in 25 overs and well-placed as well.
Australia strike thrice to peg India back till the completion of 40 overs
Alana King was introduced into the attack next. She bowled a decent first over. Molineux continued as Deol took her on as she stepped down and launched it over long-off for the maximum. Deol completed 1000 runs in ODIs. King continued as Rawal got the outside edge that ran away to the deep third man fence. Sutherland came back into the attack and bowled a decent over till there was bonus runs added via 5 penalty runs as the ball hit the helmet.
King continued as Deol got down on one knee and played the slog sweep to beat deep square leg for a boundary. India were 192/1 in 30 overs. Sutherland struck for Australia as she removed Rawal for 75 off 96 balls with 10 fours and a maximum to her name. There was a short ball on the off-stump angling into the batter. Rawal took it on and went for the pull shot. She hit it straight to deep backward square leg where Perry took a fine catch in the deep. Harmanpreet Kaur the captain came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Deol then hit King by going down on one knee and swept it to deep fine leg for a boundary as the 200 came up for India in 31.2 overs. Kaur joined the part now as she cleared her front leg and smashed it to the left of mid-on for a boundary. Sutherland continued and bowled a miserly over. Drinks was taken with India at 210/2 in 33 overs.
King continued after the break as Deol swept away to the left of deep square leg where Perry ran to her left and dived but could not stop the boundary. Megan Schutt returned to the attack as Kaur cleared her front leg and lofted it over mid-off for a boundary. She showed deft touch as she backed away and opened the bat face to beat backward point for a boundary. Molineux continued and bowled a decent over.
Megan Schutt then provided another breakthrough as she removed the Indian skipper Kaur for 22 off 17 balls with 3 fours to her name. Length ball on the stumps by Schutt, Kaur backed away making room to access the off-side. She cuts but failed to keep it down as the ball went straight into the hands of Molineux who completed the catch. Jemimah Rodrigues came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary by opening the bat face and steered it to deep third man fence.
Molineux struck again as she removed Deol for 38 off 42 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to her name. Sophie tossed it up at the stumps. Deol stepped down and looked to launch it over long-off but sliced it up in the air towards long-off. Sutherland settled underneath it and took the catch. Richa Ghosh came out to bat next.
Megan Schutt continued as Jemimah picked the length early and pulled it to deep midwicket for a boundary. Alana King was tasked to bowl the 40th over. Richa made her intentions clear by launching it into the crowd by getting down on one knee and slogged it across the line as the ball went over deep square leg for the maximum. After 40 overs, India were 261/4 well-placed to cross the 300-run mark despite Australia pegging things back with wickets.
Annabel Sutherland’s 5-wicket haul bowls India out for 330 in 48.5 oversÂ
Schutt came to bowl the 41st over but she pulled up with an injury after the first ball and went off the field. Tahlia McGrath came to complete the over as Rodrigues took the aerial route and beat mid-off for a boundary. Richa then joined the party by launching it down the ground over long-off for the maximum and then the next ball was pulled away to deep square leg for a boundary.
Molineux continued as Jemimah reverse swept it to short third man for a boundary. Ghosh then went inside out over extra covers for a boundary. Sutherland came back into the attack as Richa pulled it to deep backward square leg for a boundary as the 50-run stand came up between the two players. Sutherland took the revenge as she removed Richa for 32 off 22 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes to her name.
Sutherland bowled short of a length outside off-stump back of the hand slower one. Ghosh looked to muscle it over long-on but failed to get the timing right. She ended up hitting it straight down the throat of Georgia Wareham who made no mistake as Sutherland got her 50th ODI wicket. Amanjot Kaur came out to bat next. Amanjot got off the mark with a boundary as she played the pull shot to deep midwicket off the back foot. The 300 came up for India in 43.3 overs.
Jemimah hit a cheeky boundary by shuffling across and ramping it over short fine leg for a boundary. Sutherland then hit back getting rid of Rodrigues for 33 off 21 balls with 5 fours to her name. Full and slower one from Sutherland outside the off-stump. Rodrigues backed away and looked to heave it across the line but got a top edge that went high in the air. Mooney settled underneath it at mid-off and took a nice catch. Deepti Sharma came out to bat next as India reached 310/6 in 45 overs.
Gardner came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Molineux came back to the attack as Amanjot rocked back to a short ball outside off-stump and pulled it to vacant deep midwicket for a boundary. Sophie removed Deepti for 1 off 6 balls. Sophie bowled full and tossed up at the stumps. Deepti stepped down the track and looked to go big over long-on. She failed to get the timing right and hit it straight down the throat of Mooney at the mentioned position. Sneh Rana came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Rana helped the poor ball on the legs by helping it to deep fine leg for a boundary. Rana was then dropped by Wareham at deep midwicket. Gardner dismissed Kaur for 16 off 12 balls with 2 fours to her name. Gardner bowled full and on off-stump. Amanjot backed away and looked to go over extra cover. She got an outside edge and sliced it to backward point where Sophie took a simple catch to her left. Kranti Gaud came to the crease next.
Annabel Sutherland came back to bowl the 49th over. She removed Gaud for 1 off 3 balls. She bowled a fuller and slower one outside off-stump. Gaud was too early on the lofted drive and chipped it straight to Beth Mooney at long-on who made no mistake. Nallapureddy Charani came to the crease next and was cleaned up by Sutherland. Sutherland bowled short of a length outside off-stump with pace on this time. Charani looked to slap it to cover but got an inside edge that rolled back to hit the base of middle stump. Rana remained unbeaten on 8 off 6 balls with a boundary to her name as India were bowled out for 330 in 48.5 overs. 24 extras gifted by Australia bowlers.
Annabel Sutherland was the pick of the bowlers for Australia with figures of 5/40 in 9.5 overs. She was ably supported by Sophie Molineux who finished with 3/75 in 10 overs. Megan Schutt got 1/37 in 6.1 overs while Ashleigh Gardner finished with 1/40 in 7 overs. Kim Garth gave away 35 runs in 5 overs. Tahlia McGrath gave 43 runs in 4.5 overs. Alana King gave away 49 runs in 6 overs. This means that Australia needs a record breaking 331 runs to beat India.
What Lies Ahead for India and Australia
India have got the runs on the board of 330 runs. But this is a good pitch to bat on and will only get better while there will be dew on offer as well. So, Australia have the batting to chase this target down and will fancy their chances. This match can go either way and the start will be important for both teams in the chase. Let’s see what the chase offers for both teams.
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