India has secured a first-ever women’s Test win over Australia as the hosts cruised to an eight-wicket win.
Smriti Mandhana sealed the win with a sweetly-timed strike that landed just before the boundary as India needed just under 19 overs to reach the 75 runs required for victory.
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Australia went into the final day knowing they would needed a Christmas miracle if they were to claim victory in their one-off Test against India.
After India piled on 406 runs in the first innings (their highest total against Australia) to take a 187-run lead, Australia’s second innings never quite got going on day three.
Needing the lower order to fire and then bowl out India quickly, it ultimately proved to be too tough an ask for the Aussies.
India cleaned out the bottom half of Australia’s order with relative ease as the visitors lost five wickets for 28 runs to start the fourth and final day of the Test.
Ash Gardner and Annabel Sutherland began the day at the crease but the former didn’t last very long as she was trapped LBW by Indian spinner Pooja Vastraka.
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The umpire initially gave it not out, but India elected to review and it paid off as Gardner went on her way.
Sutherland thought she would follow the same fate as Gardner and go for 12 when she too was given out LBW from a Renuka Singh delivry.
However, Sutherland chose to review and the DRS showed the ball was going down leg.
But Sutherland’s repireve didn’t last long as she was soon dismissed for 27 when she was caught by Yastika Bhatia off a ball from Sneh Rana.
Rana was quickly on a hat-trick when Alanna King’s attempted block ultimately bounced into the stumps, forcing the Aussie back to the pavilion for a golden duck.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad then bowled Kim Garth (4) and Jess Jonassen (9) in the space of three overs to complete India’s Day Four dismantling of the Aussies.
India’s run chase started brightly as opener Shafali Verma smacked a boundary with the very first ball of the innings off Kim Garth.
But Garth quickly took revenge just three balls later as she tempted Verma with an outswinging delivery that nicked her outside edge and flew into the gloves of Alyssa Healy behind the stumps.
Despite the early blow, India slowly and steadily scored the necessary runs thanks to Mandhana (38*), Richa Ghosh (13) and Jemimah Rodrigues (12).