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Women’s ODIs: Aus beat India in thriller to bag series

Australia’s Beth Mooney celebrates her team’s victory over India in the second women’s one-day international against India as Jhulan Goswami looks dejected in Mackay, Australia, on September 24, 2021. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

By: Shubham Ghosh

INDIA’S women lost to Australia in a thriller at Ray Mitchell Oval, Harrup Park, Mackay, on Friday (24) to squander the three-match one-day international (ODI) series. The visitors produced a much improved batting display in the game compared to the first match on Tuesday (21) but a heroic knock from Beth Mooney denied them a win. The hosts won in the final delivery of the match after the opening batter slammed 125 not out in 133 balls to chase down a competitive target of 275 in 50 overs. It was her second hundred in the 50-over format and she was adjudged the player of the match.

ALSO READ: Mithali Raj completes 20,000 career runs

Australia won the first match by 9 wickets.

Australia saw a slide in their top order to lose four wickets for only 52 but Taliah McGrath (74 off 77 deliveries) and Nicola Carey (39 not out off 38) added vital runs with Mooney to bring their side into the game and eventually winning the match. They added 123 runs in less than 35 overs. For India, opening bowlers Jhulan Goswami and Meghna Singh and Pooja Vastrakar and spinner Deepti Sharma took one wicket each.

Australia win after Goswami bowls a no ball

The veteran Goswami bowled the final over of the Australian innings and the final delivery was called invalid by the third umpire, making Goswami to re-bowl it. India thought they had won the game but the call changed the scenario in a flash. Carey hit the winning runs in that ball to take their winning streak in the format to 26 games now. The Indian side would consider itself unlucky over the final ball since it was waist high only marginally.

Earlier, India looked determined with the bat after Australian skipper Meg Lanning won the toss and asked Mithali Raj’s team to bat first. Opener Smriti Mandhana slammed 86 off 94 while wicket-keeper-batter Richa Ghosh made 44 off 50. Vastrakar’s 29 off 37 and Goswami’s 28 not out off 25 down the order saw India adding 53 runs for the seventh wicket in the last 7.5 overs. Raj, who scored a fifty in the previous game, got run out for only eight in 23 balls.

India finished at 274 for 7 in their 50 overs with right-arm medium fast bowler McGrath taking three for 45 runs. Left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux took two for 28.
The final ODI will be played at the same venue on Sunday (26).

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