Put into bat first, India rode on Smriti Mandhana‘s magical 12th ODI ton to take India forward. Deepti Sharma chipped in and so did Sneh Rana towards the end as India got to their highest ODI score against Australia in ODIs as Australia will have to chase down a record score now but the pitch is good for batting.
Australia fought back through Darcie Brown and Ashleigh Gardner and restricted India under 300 runs. It is Australia’s game to lose and they will fancy their chances of taking a winning 2-0 lead in the 3-match series. India needs to bowl really well to win this from here.
Smriti Mandhana’s Unbeaten 90 Propels India to 152/2 in 25 overs.
Put into bat first, Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana came out to bat for India while Megan Schutt had ball in hand for Australia. Schutt bowled a decent first over. Ashleigh Gardner was given the ball from the other end as spin was introduced in the powerplay. Mandhana took the attack to the opposition as she danced down the track and went over mid-on for the maximum over long-on. Schutt conceded 4 leg byes to the batting side by bowling on the pads as the ball went away to the fine leg fence.
Gardner bowled a maiden over to Pratika Rawal. Smriti Mandhana got a streaky boundary off Schutt as she edged it through the gap of first slip and gully region. Rawal broke her shackles as she pulled it away through forward square leg for a boundary. Smriti Mandhana then used her feet against Gardner and lofted it down the ground for the maximum straight over the bowler’s head.
Rawal then took the attack to Schutt hitting her for back-to-back boundaries through mid-off and through diving backward point region. Rawal hit another boundary two balls later through backward square leg by clipping it to the fence. Darcie Brown was introduced into the attack next. Mandhana welcomed her by hitting a boundary through the cover point region through a crisp drive. The 50 came up for India and of the partnership in 7.2 overs.
Ellyse Perry came into the attack next. Mandhana flicked Perry over the top of midwicket for a boundary. Mandhana once again hit Perry for a boundary through the midwicket region. Darcie Brown continued and bowled a tight over. At the end of 10 overs, India were off to a solid start at 64/0 in 10 overs.
Perry continued and bowled a steady over. Gardner then removed Pratika 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 to the pitch of the ball and drove it uppishly to the fielder at short extra cover who took the catch easily. Wareham was the catcher. Harleen Deol came out to bat next. She got off the mark with a brace.
Annabel Sutherland came into the attack next. Harleen Deol was given OUT LBW against Sutherland but the batter reviewed and got the decision back in her favour as the ball was going down the leg side. Gardner bowled another tight over. Mandhana hit Sutherland by shuffling across and used the pace of the ball and ramped it down to the fine leg fence for a boundary. India were 81/1 in 15 overs when the players paused for the first Drinks Break.
Georgia Wareham came into the attack post the Break. Smriti Mandhana hit Wareham for the maximum by slog sweeping over deep midwicket for the maximum as she brought up her 33rd ODI fifty in 45 balls. Smriti Mandhana was not done yet as she hit Wareham for a boundary by heaving it away through deep midwicket and long-on. Sutherland continued and bowled a decent over.
Smriti Mandhana hit Wareham for a boundary by going inside out over top of extra cover as the 100 came up for India in 17.1 overs. Mandhana hit another boundary by hitting a full toss stepping down the track and heaved it away to deep backward square leg where Darcie Brown ran to her right to dive full length but could not take the catch. The ball went away to the midwicket fence for a boundary. Mandhana then hit Wareham straight down the ground for the maximum.
Deol then crunched Sutherland for a boundary as she crisply drove her through cover point region for a boundary. Then against the run of play, Deol fell via a run out for 10 off 24 balls with a boundary to her name. Miscommunication between the two batters and Harleen was sent back and could not make it back in time. The square leg umpire raised the finger. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur came out to bat next. Darcie Brown came back into the attack and bowled a miserly over. India were 121/2 in 20 overs.
Megan Schutt returned to the attack. Kaur hit Schutt for a boundary by hitting the back of a length delivery through the covers for a boundary as the batter stayed on top of the bounce. Kaur then delicately hit Brown by opening the face of the bat and running it down the left of backward point for a boundary. Mandhana next hit Schutt for a boundary as she steered it through the gap between backward point and short third man.
Ashleigh Gardner came back into the attack. She bowled a tight over yet again. Annabel Sutherland came back into the attack. Mandhana cleared her front leg and lofted it away over the top of mid-off for a boundary off Sutherland. So, at the end of 25 overs at the halfway stage of the Indian innings, The Women in Blue were 152/2 and looking good at this stage to get to 300+ with Mandhana on 90* off 70 balls and Kaur on 17* off 24 balls. An exciting back 25 overs were ahead of us.
Australia hit back to bowl India out for 292 in 49.5 overs after a majestic ton by Smriti Mandhana
Ashleigh Gardner continued and got rid of captain Harmanpreet Kaur for 17 off 26 balls with 2 fours to her name. She bowled a loopy delivery full and wide outside off-stump. Kaur reached for it and sliced it uppishly to the right of Sutherland at backward point who took a simple catch. Deepti Sharma came out to bat next. Deepti hit Sutherland for a boundary under streaky circumstances as the outside edge went down to the third man fence. Deepti survived a run out scare as well.
Smriti Mandhana swept Gardner over the top of backward square leg for a boundary. Tahlia McGrath came to bowl next. Mandhana welcomed her and lofted it over top of mid-off for a boundary as Smriti Mandhana brought up her 12th ODI ton and her 3rd against Australia. Mandhana hit Gardner through backward point region for a boundary. At the drinks break after 30 overs, India were 180/3.
Smriti Mandhana carved it away through backward point for a boundary. Gardner bowled another miserly over and ended her splendid spell. McGrath then got rid of the big fish Smriti Mandhana for 117 off 91 balls with 14 fours and 4 sixes to her name. Tahlia bowled a length ball around off, Mandhana shuffled across the stumps and heaved it away on the leg side. She didn’t get enough elevation on that one as Gardner settled underneath it at deep midwicket and took the good catch. Richa Ghosh came out to bat next.
Alana King was finally brought into the attack. She started her spell with a miserly over. India’s 200 came up in 34.1 overs. Alyssa Healy dropped a tough catch off Alana King as Richa Ghosh got a life. Georgia Wareham came back into the attack next. Richa swept her away through short fine leg for a boundary. Richa then drove King past top of extra cover for a boundary. Wareham bowled a decent over. Deepti hit King for a boundary by heaving it away towards the midwicket region. Richa swept King again through deep forward square leg for a boundary.
After 40 overs, India Women were 235/4. Darcie Brown bowled a decent 41st over. Annabel Sutherland returned to the attack and got rid of Richa Ghosh for 29 off 33 balls with 3 fours to her name. Sutherland bowled a slower delivery full around leg, Richa got down on one knee and looked to swipe it away behind square on the leg side. She got a top edge as Voll at short fine leg dived forward to take a good low catch. Radha Yadav came out to bat next.
Radha hit Darcie Brown for a boundary by tickling it through fine leg region. Darcie then removed Radha for 6 off 6 balls with a boundary to her name via a successful DRS by the fielding side. Back of a length delivery around off slower delivery. Radha looked to help it away behind square on the leg side. She was through the stroke a way too early as the ball kept a tad low. Radha got beaten on the inside edge and wore it on the back pad. Looked plumb but the umpire did not give it. DRS turned it around as three reds showed up on the screen as she had to depart. Arundhati Reddy came out to bat next and got off the mark.
Sutherland bowled a tight over. Darcie Brown then got rid of Reddy for 4 off 6 balls. Length ball around off-stump pitched and tailed back in a shade, Reddy hung back and looked to work it away on the onside. The ball kept a bit low as she was beaten for pace. She missed it completely and the ball rattled the stumps. Sneh Rana came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Rana got a fortunate boundary through the outside edge down to third man region.
After 45 overs, India were 262/7. Sutherland gave away 10 runs in the 46th over. Darcie Brown then removed Deepti Sharma for 40 off 53 balls with 2 fours to her name. She bowled from around the wicket a full ball at the stumps, right in the slot for the batter. Deepti cleared her front leg and looked to smash it over the top of mid-on. She mistimed it from the toe end of her blade. Sutherland at mid-on tracked back and took a comfortable catch. Kranti Goud came out to bat next. Brown dropped a tough catch on her follow through as Goud got a reprieve.
Kranti Goud was run out as there was a mix up between the two batters. She fell for 2 off 4 balls. Renuka Singh Thakur came out to bat at 11. She got off the mark straightaway. Annabel Sutherland came back into the attack. Rana took her on by hitting her for consecutive boundaries through cover point region and short fine leg region respectively. Then runs came in singles and twos while Thakur survived a run out scare at the bowler’s end.
Rana was eventually dismissed for 24 off 18 balls with 3 fours to her name. Megan Schutt got the wicket as she bowled a fuller length around the sixth stump line, Rana shuffled far too across the stumps and swung the bat across the line. She got a top edge which ballooned up in the air. The fielder at short third picked the catch. India were bowled out for 292 in 49.5 overs with Thakur staying unbeaten on 3 off 6 balls. 15 extras given by Australia.
Darcie Brown was the pick of the bowlers for Australia with figures of 3/42 in 8 overs. Ashleigh Gardner finished with 2/39 in 10 overs. Megan Schutt finished with 1/46 in 7.5 overs. Annabel Sutherland finished with 1/58 in 10 overs. Tahlia McGrath finished with 1/20 in 4 overs. Ellyse Perry bowled 2 overs for 15 runs. Georgia Wareham bowled 4 overs for 41 runs. Alana King finished with 0/26 in 4 overs. This means Australia now needs 293 to win and seal the series 2-0 with a game to spare.
What Lies Ahead.
Australia have fought back well in the contest and restricted India to 292. This is India’s highest score against Australia in ODIs. Australia has to bat well to win and they have the batting to do it. At the interval, Australia will be the happier side and have the momentum heading into the second innings. Can India pull it off and defend the score? Only time will tell.
The second innings will start soon. The pitch looks good for batting and Australia will fancy their chances from here. Let’s see how this game pans out from here.
Also Read: IND-W vs AUS-W: Smriti Mandhana’s Unbeaten 90 Propels India To 152/2 In 25 Overs