- Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE one-off Test match between Australia and India at Metricon Stadium in Queensland, Australia, ended in a draw on Sunday (3) after the home team’s batters negotiated the final session of the final day of the game.
India had an upper hand for most part of the rain-hit game and set them a target of 272 on the fourth and final afternoon. Australia reached 36 for 2 in 15 overs when both sides settled for a draw. Captains Meg Lanning and Mithali Raj shook hands in the final session of the pink-ball match. India’s opening batter Smriti Mandhana, who hit her maiden Test ton in the first innings, was adjudged the player of the match.
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Lanning praised India in the post-match press conference saying, “We certainly came to win as did India. India played really well and put us on the back foot, we had to fight it out. They ran in hard and gave it their all. We fielded every day in this Test.” She also said that the game would have seen a result had it not been the weather.
After Lannging won the toss and sent India to bat first, the visitors took a lead of 136 runs in the first innings, thanks to their pacers who restricted the hosts to 241 for 9 after Mandhana’s century propelled India to 377 for 8 in their first innings. Ellyse Perry (68 not out) and Ashleigh Gardner (51) helped Australia in the first innings after the home team slumped to 119 for 4.
India seamers peg Australia back
The draw saw both teams getting two points each. The multi-format series after the one-day internationals and a Test stands at Australia 6 – India 4.
Raj said it was a mixed feeling for her. “I expected quite a movement with the new ball but it didn’t happen. In the latter half of the 1st innings, there was a bit of a movement. For my first experience, I thoroughly enjoyed being on the ground,” she said while replying to a query from Asian News International.
India declared their second innings at 135 for 3 in 37 overs with opener Shafali Verma hitting an unbeaten 52 and Punam Raut 41 to take the lead to 271.
Mandhana said after taking her player of the match award, “It’s definitely in the top three (asked to rate this hundred). First time playing a day-night Test, really happy that I gave good pace (start) to the team.”
“Most nervous night I have ever had – after the first day. Lucky with that no-ball on 80. That sort of cleared my mind after that. To wear whites and go into the field is the top-most thing. The different situation today to bat than the first day and that happens only in Tests.”
