IND-W vs AUS-W, One-Off Test | An Analysis of India's Historic Win
India won their first ever Test against Australia at Wankhede (Source: x.com)
In a historic moment at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, the India Women's cricket team secured their first-ever Test victory against Australia. The triumph was built on a strong foundation laid by their bowlers, including Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma, and Sneh Rana, who shone on Day 1 by restricting Australia to a low score. Pooja Vastrakar, in particular, stood out with a four-wicket haul. The team's dominance continued throughout the match, ultimately resulting in a convincing win.
India's bowlers, capitalizing on the challenging pitch conditions, played a crucial role on the final day against Australia. Despite the efforts of McGrath, Perry, and Healy, Sneh Rana's exceptional performance, including two crucial wickets in consecutive deliveries, shifted the momentum in India's favour.
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Gayakwad's effective bowling contributions wrapped up the Australian innings for 261, setting a manageable target of 75 for India. The Indian team efficiently chased down the total in less than 19 overs, securing a historic Test victory. Sneh Rana's remarkable overall figures of 7 for 119 earned her the well-deserved Player of the Match title.
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Mandhana and Shafali's partnership was marked by a combination of skillful batting and a touch of luck. With the pitch conditions favoring the batters, both players took full advantage of the improved situation. The Indian pair demonstrated resilience as they navigated through the Australian bowling attack, racing past fifty in a mere 46 balls.
While there were instances of inside and outside edges that fell safely for the batters, Shafali faced a close call towards the end of day one, succumbing to a straight delivery from Jonassen and getting trapped in front on 40. Despite Shafali's dismissal, Mandhana and Rana managed to guide India safely to stumps with only one wicket down.
Mandhana, carrying her unbeaten score from the first day, displayed patience in the morning session while actively seeking boundaries. The batter aimed to capitalize on her start and convert the half-century into a substantial score. Partnering with nightwatch Sneh Rana, Mandhana contributed to a 50-run partnership for the second wicket. However, a miscommunication between Ghosh and Mandhana resulted in the latter losing her wicket, departing for a commendable 74 runs. Mandhana's innings spanned 106 balls and included an impressive tally of 12 fours.
On Day 4, India embarked on a modest chase of 75 runs, with Shafali Varma losing her wicket, caught behind off Garth, on the fourth ball of the innings. Despite this early setback, the team progressed to lunch at 29 for 1. Debutant Richa Ghosh, with the team requiring 20 runs, unfortunately, succumbed to a wild heave across the line, granting Gardner her fifth wicket of the match.
Nonetheless, the experienced Smriti Mandhana steadied the innings with her unbeaten 38, effectively countering the spin threat posed by the Australian bowlers. Her composed approach and a well-timed lofted straight hit after charging down the pitch secured victory for India ten overs after lunch, marking a historic Test win against Australia.
Conclusion
Harmanpreet Kaur expresses that this victory is a culmination of years of hard work by the team, coaches, and support staff. She highlights the thoughtful decision to include Richa in the squad, aiming to inject positive intent into their gameplay. Kaur credits the entire team for their contributions to the win, emphasizing the temperament that led to taking 20 Australian wickets. She acknowledges the role of the bowling coach, who consistently pushes the team to excel in taking wickets, making everything fall into place.
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