Australia whips India 'A' in first warm up

Amassing 413 runs in its 50 overs, Australia shot India out for 92, winning the match by a whopping 321 runs.

Australia's Beth Mooney plays a shot during a warm-up match against India 'A' at the Mumbai Cricket Association Ground.

Skipper Meg Lanning scored a mere one run from 10 balls in her first competitive match after a seven month break because of injury, but the Australian team hammered a hapless India `A’ bowlers as it amassed a massive 413 for eight wickets in the first warm up match at the MCA ground at Bandra-Kurla-Complex.

The Australian team had earlier won official ODI matches by 374 runs against Pakistan in Melbourne in 1997 and by 363 runs against Denmark in a World Cup match at the MIG Ground, Bandra in December 1997 and so it was not a surprise when it trounced a second string Indian team by a whopping 321 runs here on Tuesday.

Read: We have to play tough cricket against the Aussies, says Arothe

The immediate question that springs, following a sound thrashing from the Australian team is, if India is really equipped with a competitive second string team ?.  "Australia is a very strong team; it will take a long time for India to build a good bench strength. The players must get opportunities to play more tournaments. While picking the 'A' team the selectors should have opted for a good mix, including senior players who are not in form and also from the fringe,’’ said a former India women cricketer.

Opener Nicole Bolton began the run scoring spree with a 38-ball 58 with 10 fours and one six. The highlight of Australia’s free-flowing and big hitting batting effort was Beth Mooney’s 85-ball 115 with 18 boundaries.

Australia was 102 for three when Meg departed, but thereafter Mooney and Ellyse Perry rattled off 154 for the fourth wicket. Then batting at No.8 Ashleigh Gardner went hammer and tongs to make a 44-ball 90 with nine 4s and six 6s. She and Jess Jonassen added 99 for the eighth wicket.

The home team was then shot out for 92 runs in 29.5 overs with skipper Anuja Patil scoring 16, the highest in the Indian innings, among the five who crossed double digits.

Priya Punia made 13 while Sarika Koli and S. Asha scored 11 runs each and Kavita Patil made 14.

The second warm up match will be played at the same venue on Thursday.