India have gotten off to a solid start after opting to bat first in Mullanpur. Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, they rode on Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal’s magical opening partnership of 114 runs to lay the platform for India for a big score. Smriti Mandhana has been run out against the run of play for 58, while Rawal is there on 55* with Deol joining her now.
Australia have pulled things back a bit in the last few overs in terms of runs after Mandhana’s wicket and now will want to take wickets at regular intervals to keep India down to a score of 260-270. The first phase of 25 overs belonged to India, but they need to keep the momentum going.
Smriti Mandhana & Pratika Rawal Give India A Solid Start In The First Powerplay
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana came out to bat for India while Megan Schutt had ball in hand for Australia. Mandhana hit Schutt for a boundary by driving languidly through the covers. Kim Garth shared the new ball from the other end. Mandhana stepped out of her crease and heaved it over wide long-on region for a boundary. Pratika Rawal got into the act as she got her first boundary away through point and backward point region.
Kim Garth bowled a tight over and kept the boundaries down. Rawal then hit Schutt for consecutive boundaries one through cover and point and the other through the gully region. Garth kept things tight from the other end. Mandhana broke the shackles a little bit by hitting Schutt for a boundary over mid-off for one bounce and over the ropes. Rawal then took on Garth and drove her crisply through the covers for a boundary. Mandhana too pulled Garth through deep backward square leg for a boundary.
Garth overstepped but the free hit yielded a couple of runs as the 50 for the team and partnership came up in 8 overs. Ashleigh Gardner was introduced into the attack and bowled a very tight first over. The veteran Ellyse Perry was given the ball next and she too gave only 3 runs in her opening over. At the end of the powerplay, India were well-placed at 55/0 in 10 overs.
Smriti Mandhana & Pratika Rawal drive home the advantage to take India to 84/0 in 15 overs
Gardner continued after the mandatory powerplay. Mandhana decided to take her on and stepped down the track to smash it straight down the ground for the maximum. Georgia Wareham did well in the deep to keep it down to two runs in the same over. Perry continued and bowled another decent over. It was Rawal’s turn to take on Gardner as the ball was on her legs, Rawal got down on one knee and helped it towards deep fine leg for a boundary.
India Women were 75/0 in 13 overs and the umpires called for the Drinks Break as an hour’s play was completed. Perry continued after the Break and bowled fuller delivery down the leg side as Mandhana rolled her wrists and flicked it past the diving fine leg region for a boundary. Georgia Wareham was introduced into the attack next.
Wareham bowled a miserly first over as she gave away only 2 runs. After 15 overs, India were solidly placed at 84/0 and had the platform for a big score.
Smriti Mandhana falls after getting 50, Pratika Rawal the key as India reaches 129/1 in 25 overs
Annabel Sutherland came into the attack next and bowled a tidy over. Georgia Wareham continued as Mandhana stepped out of her crease and hit it over mid-off for a boundary. Rawal then hit Sutherland past fine leg region for a boundary. The 100 came up for India Women in 17.3 overs and of the partnership as this was their 5th 100-run stand together.
Mandhana got to her 32nd Women’s ODI fifty and fifth against Australia in 55 balls. Sutherland bowled a tidy 20th over as India reached 106/0 in 20 overs. Ashleigh Gardner came back into the attack and bowled a miserly over on her return as Australia were tightening the screws. Soon, Pratika Rawal reached her half-century off 67 balls. Mandhana then took on Sutherland and slogged it over deep midwicket for the maximum.
But against the run of play, there was a huge mix-up between the two batters and it led to senior pro Smriti Mandhana being run out for 58 off 63 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes to her name. Phoebe Litchfield threw down the stumps at the striker’s end as Mandhana was short of her ground. Harleen Deol walked out to bat at 3 and got off the mark straightaway.
Georgia Wareham came back into the attack and bowled a tidy over. Kim Garth returned to the attack and bowled a maiden over. Wareham had the ball for the 25th over and Deol hit Wareham over mid-on flat and hard into the cushions for the maximum as India reached 129/1 in 25 overs at the halfway stage of the innings with Rawal on 55* off 74 balls and Deol on 10* off 14 balls. India have a solid platform to get to a big score.
What Lies Ahead
India Women are off to a solid start and have wickets in hand for the back 25 overs. They are 129/1 in 25 overs. With the pitch showing no real demons and Australia’s strong batting line-up, India needs to convert and get to 300+ from here, otherwise anything under that will be below par against the Aussies.
Australia will want more wickets in the next 25 overs and do damage control to keep the score to around 260-270 maybe. India have their noses in front, but the Aussies not out of it. An intriguing next 25 overs ahead of us.
Also Read: IND-W vs AUS-W: “We Can Beat Australia”- Harmanpreet Kaur Optimistic Of Outclassing Australia