Smriti Mandhana showed her class and continued her great form with the bat in New Chandigarh. Smriti Mandhana looked like a women possessed and determined out there as she has powered India to a good position at the half way stage of the contest. Pratika Rawal and Harleen Deol got starts while Harmanpreet Kaur has got herself going.
For Australia, Ashleigh Gardner has got a wicket while Deol was run out. Australia will be patient and know that wickets in clumps can happen since India are playing a batter short today. They need to chip away while India will aim to get 300+ from the score of 152/2 in 25 overs as the match is nicely poised at the moment.
Smriti Mandhana & Pratika Rawal Gets India Off To A Flier In First Powerplay
Put into bat first, Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana walked out to bat for India while Megan Schutt had ball in hand for Australia. Schutt bowled a steady first over. Ashleigh Gardner was given the ball for the second over. Mandhana took on Gardner as she stepped down the track to convert the ball into a low full toss for the maximum over long-on. Schutt gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side by bowling onto Mandhana’s pads as the ball went away to the fine leg fence.
Gardner then bowled a maiden over to Pratika Rawal. Mandhana broke the shackles by getting a streaky boundary through the gap at first slip and gully to the fence. Rawal then broke free as she stood tall and pulled a Megan Schutt delivery through forward square leg for a boundary. Mandhana took on Gardner again as she danced down the track and pumped it straight down the ground for the maximum.
Rawal then took the attack to Schutt by hitting her for consecutive boundaries past mid-off and the next one past diving backward point region. Rawal hit another boundary by flicking the full ball on the pads through backward square leg for a boundary. Darcie Brown was introduced into the attack next. She was welcomed with a boundary by Mandhana as she drove her through cover point region for a boundary. The 50 came up for India in 7.2 overs and of the partnership as well.
Ellyse Perry came into the attack next. Mandhana took the attack to Perry as she walked down the track and flicked the ball away over the top of midwicket for a boundary. Mandhana then hit Perry again by coming down the track and heaving it away over the top of midwicket for a boundary. Brown bowled a tight 10th over which was the final over of powerplay. At the end of 10 overs at the end of the powerplay, India were off to good start at 64/0.
Ashleigh Gardner removes Pratika Rawal as India reaches 81/1 in 15 overs at the Drinks Break
Ellyse Perry continued and bowled a decent 11th over. Ashleigh Gardner came back into the attack and removed Rawal for 25 off 32 balls with 4 fours to her name. Gardner tossed it up full around the fifth stump. Gardner pulled her length slightly back. Rawal lunged forward and went for the expansive drive. She was nowhere close to the pitch of the ball. She drove it uppishly and the fielder at short extra cover grabbed a simple catch as Wareham made no mistake. Harleen Deol walked out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace.
Annabel Sutherland came into the attack next with Healy standing up to the stumps. Harleen Deol was given OUT LBW to Sutherland but the batter reviewed it and got the decision overturned in her favour as the ball was going down the leg side. Gardner continued and bowled a decent over.
Smriti Mandhana then hit Sutherland for a boundary by shuffling across the stumps and used the pace of the ball to ramp it down to the fine leg fence for a boundary. At the end of 15 overs, India were 81/1 with Smriti Mandhana on 42* off 43 balls and Deol on 4* off 15 balls.
Smriti Mandhana powers India to 152/2 in 25 overs after Harleen Deol falls via a run out
Georgia Wareham came into the attack post the Drinks Break. Smriti Mandhana welcomed her with a maximum via a slog sweep over deep midwicket fence as she got to yet another half-century in 45 balls her 33rd ODI fifty. Smriti Mandhana hit Wareham for a boundary by heaving it away into the gap at deep midwicket and long-on. Sutherland continued and bowled a miserly over. Smriti Mandhana hit Wareham again for a boundary as she went inside out over extra covers for a boundary. The 100 came up for India in 17.1 overs.
Smriti Mandhana hit Wareham for a boundary by heaving at deep square leg. Brown did well to dive full length to get two hands to it and put it down as a tough chance went begging. Smriti Mandhana was not done yet as she took on Wareham and launched her down the ground over long-on for the maximum. Deol hit Sutherland through cover point for a boundary. Just then against the run of play, Harleen Deol was run out for 10 off 24 balls with a boundary to her name. Miscommunication between the batters and Deol couldn’t get back at her crease on time. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur came out to bat next.
Darcie Brown returned to the attack and bowled a decent over as India were 121/2 in 20 overs. Megan Schutt returned to the attack as Kaur punched it crisply through the covers for a boundary. Kaur hit a boundary off Brown through the left of backward point. Mandhana then hit Schutt through the gap between backward point and short third man for a boundary. Gardner returned and bowled a miserly over.
Annabel Sutherland came back into the attack as Smriti Mandhana cleared her front leg and lofted it over mid-off for a boundary. At the end of 25 overs, India Women were 152/2 with Mandhana on 90* off 70 balls while captain Harmanpreet Kaur was on 17* off 24 balls.
What Lies Ahead
So, India are well-placed at 152/2 in 25 overs. They have got the foundation to go big. But they must capitalize on the start. This looks like a good pitch again and a bare minimum of 300 is needed against this Australian side. Australia will have to be patient and just chip away at wickets to stem the flow of runs. Mandhana and Kaur at the crease and the aim will be to get 320 from here. Australia will aim to restrict them under 300.
A cracking last 25 overs awaits us and let’s see how things unfold from here.
Also Read: IND-W vs AUS-W: Harmanpreet Kaur & Co Eye To Level Series Against High Flying Australia