Hello and welcome to Sportstar's HIGHLIGHTS of the Pink Ball Test between Australia Women and India Women in Carrara. This is
Lavanya Lakshminarayanan and
Dhruva Prasad and we'll be taking you through day's play today.
LIVE: Final day of the AUS v IND Pink Ball Test:
5:05 PM IST: The dreaded news is here. Stumps have been called with no signs of rains relenting.
Torrential rain at the stadium and the forecast is not so bright for tomorrow as well. However, full day's play can be expected on Saturday and Sunday with fine weather conditions.
The news is not great as play is unlikely to resume before the 10:30 pm local time (6:00 pm IST) cut-off as more rain comes down.
Update coming in that Tea will be taken at 3:30 pm IST (8:00 pm local time). If weather permits, play will resume at 3:50 pm IST.
Ominous signs as patches of clouds are headed to the venue. We may need to brace for another prolonged break. Rain, rain, go away!
IND 132/1 (44.1 overs): Gardner comes in to bowl but we have another rain interruption. Players are off the field. Covers are back on.
IND 132/1 (44 overs): Neat over by Sutherland on debut. She starts off with a maiden. Mandhana will be itching to get the century out of the way.
Annabel Sutherland finally comes into attack .
IND 132/1 (43 overs):
Neat from Gardner, as has been the case, but a loose ball comes up again and this time it's Raut doing the honours of dispatching this past deep midwicket.
IND 128/1 (42 overs):
Oh loose ball to McGrath. Short again, similar patterns from McGrath and Mandhana will punish similarly too as well. Down midwicket for four. Inching closer to that century, Mandhana.
IND 123/1 (41 overs):
Gardner comes in at the other end and the tameness to spin continues. Just three runs off the over.
IND 120/1 (40 overs): Mandhana cannot resist. The message to the Aussies is loud and clear. She is here for the big score today and she underlines that with a six off the last ball. Australians have been using the short ball far too much today with the results not backing it up.
2:45 PM IST: We're back with live action. McGrath comes in to finish her over interrupted by the lightning and rain.
The news from the middle is that play is scheduled to begin at 2:50 pm IST (7:20 pm local time) with a minimum of 87 overs to be bowled today. Tea will be taken between 4:15 pm and 4:35 pm IST, with the final session ending at 6 pm IST. An additional 30 minutes will be allowed to make up for lost play.
Match officials and umpires are out for an inspection as the rain has stopped. But there's still some lightning around due to which a further delay can be expected.
India and Australia last met in a Test in 2006 in Adelaide, with the visitor going down by an innings and four runs. Playing her sixth Test, Mithali Raj led India in that match and continues to lead the side in the format to this day. Interestingly, Shafali Verma was two years old when the two sides faced off last in a Test.
Did You Know : India Women are yet to win a Test match against the Aussies. The two teams have played nine Tests since 1977, with India losing four of them while five have ended in a draw.
The storm is expected to subside in about 30 minutes. The stadium at Carrara is believed to have a good drainage system, so hopefully a wet outfield won't delay play any further once the rain abates.
Mandhana, unbeaten on 70 runs, has registered the highest Test score by an Indian Down Under. She went past Rajani Venugopal's 58 in Melbourne in 1991.
The players went off the field as soon as lightning began. But now the rain is coming down quite hard. The forecast suggests that heavy rain and a strong thunderstorm would subside in about 40 minutes.
114/1 (39.3 overs): Mandhana plays out three dots, and is beaten outside off once off McGrath's outswinger. The covers have come one as play has been temporarily suspended due to bad weather.
114/1 (39 overs): Raut goes down the track to Gardner and lofts it over the bowler's head for a couple.
112/1 (38 overs): Raut takes a single off McGrath in an otherwise placid over.
111/1 (37 overs): Just one off that over as Gardner keeps it tight.
110/1 (36 overs):
Mandhana and Raut continue steadily after dinner.
And we go again. Mandhana, Raut take guard again. Lanning has opted out of keeping a slip fielder for Mandhana. Will this cost her given the number of edges we've seen in the first session? We'll have to find out.
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We're heading off for a break as well. Join Dhruva Prasad on the other side as Mandhana and Raut resume their guard for India. Second session coming up in a bit.
WV Raman: India definitely on top. Too much was made of the pitch.
Darcie Brown was expensive today, giving away 28 runs in her four overs. However, the match has just begun and the youngster found some support from the Gold Coast Suns and the AFL ahead of the game. Gotta love the cheerleading!
101/1 (33 overs): Gardner gets a maiden too and with that it's time for tea/dinner.
101/1 (32 overs): Molineux continues. She manages to get two inside edges but no damage done. Raut is happy to defend. Maiden over.
Australia sticking to spin here.
101/1 (31 overs): Nice running between the wickets here and Raut and Mandhana bring up the 100 for India. Raut takes a single off Gardner's last ball to get off the mark. Two runs from this over.
99/1 (30 overs): Maiden overs for Gardner first and Molineux
Safe overs for Australia. India happy to see her off and target the bowlers struggling with their lengths. Dinner time is nearing for the folks in Carrara as well.
99/1 (28 overs):
Mandhana cuts Molineux past point for a boundary. Wonder how the Aussies will plan their bowling for Punam Raut. She has a solid defence and seems in no hurry to get going. Mandhana is happy to take on scoring duties, even if her tempo has dropped a bit.
94/1 (27 overs):
Gardner into the attack now. Mandhana's pace has dropped drastically. She has scored just 2 runs in the last 30 odd deliveries after starting in the exact opposite (you know what I mean) fashion. Small victories for the Aussies but they will want nothing but wickets now. Just the one run from the over.
Take a look at that dismissal:
93/1 (26 overs): MOLINEUX REMOVES SHAFALI VERMA.
Molineux sends in an uppish delivery and Verma gets a little height on it as it goes to mid off. McGrath will catch this like her life depends on it. Smiles on the feed. The fielding side needed this. Punam Raut comes in at no.3. Well deserved wicket maiden for Molineux.
WICKET:Shafali Verma c McGrath b Molineux 31 (64b 4x4 0x6)
93/0 (25 overs): And there she comes. Can Ash Gardner deliver? She has dismissed Smriti Mandhana four times in the one-day format. Maiden for Gardner as well.
93/0 (24 overs):
Just two runs off this Molineux over. What other options does Lanning have here? Perhaps a little of Gardner sometime soon?
91/0 (23 overs):
McGrath into the attack. Mandhana looks indestructible at the moment. It has not helped that the Aussies have been ever so slightly sloppy on the field. McGrath switches between going around the wicket and over the wicket to Mandhana. No runs conceded. Maiden.
91/0 (22 overs): There's a drizzle here.
But Molineux goes about her duties. Four runs come off the over.
87/0 (21 overs): ANOTHER EDGE, Verma this time.
However, it falls just short of Meg Lanning - the only player in the slip cordon. Healy on the mic: One has to go our way. The frustration is starting to show just a little bit.
86/0 (20 overs): Maiden over for Molineux
IND 86/0 (19 overs):
McGrath goes down leg and it's too wide for even Healy to do anything about it. The five runs are all McGrath gives this over. How can the Aussies break this partnership?
Brad Hodge, speaking about his experience of being colourblind, talks about struggles with the pink ball. He weighs in on this Sutherland drop here and points out how difficult it must be to see the ball against the background of those red seats. Fair point.
IND 81/0 (18 overs) : DROPPED. Annabel Sutherland has dropped Mandhana. Oh this is going to cost the Aussies.
Molineaux must be mad, this is the second chance she has created today. Just the one run from the over.
IND 80/0 (17 overs): McGrath is back and is greeted with a boundary by Mandhana - a gorgeous cover drive no less. Peak Mandhana. And this forces Lanning to bring back the slip for her. Just the boundary from this over. Lanning still has no answers as Australia continues to hunt for a wicket.
IND 76/0 (16 overs): Oh Lanning misses Shafali again . Shafali edges one to slip, Lanning gets a finger to it, looks like. But the ball is turning away and Lanning is too wide to be able to use this to her advantage. Boundary for the teenager. Two more runs come off this over - six in all for Molineux's first over of the day.
Sophie Molineux comes in.
She has a bandage on her lip from the injury she sustained in the third ODI. She had continued to play that game with a heavily taped up mouth and is back again today. Absolute fighter.
Matthew Mott: Definitely some nerves there.
Time for drinks.
IND 70/0 (15 overs):
McGrath starts well with some nifty angles but ends up sending one a little too full to Mandhana which gives her some space to get this off for four to bring up her third Test half century.
Tahlia McGrath into the attack now. Mandhana nearing her fifty.
IND 66/0 (14 overs):
Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana have batted together in three Test innings as opening partners and managed fifty-plus stands in two of them. Important! Campbell comes in and concedes two boundaries - Shafali Verma the aggressor this time. All down to Campbell's length here. Lanning hops over to talk to her.
Clouds are coming in thick and dark over the stadium.
Healy: We've been advised not to look at the weather. After playing the WC semifinal vs SA, we've been encouraged not to look at the radar too much.
IND 58/0 (13 overs):
Perry sends in a full length ball, right on the pads. Mandhana sends this off to the boundary. Just the four runs off this over.
Healy: There were more nerves at the cap presentations and what to speak at the them than the game.
IND 54/0 (12 overs): Campbell goes down leg with a shorter delivery and pulls this for a boundary.
This brings up the 50-run stand for the Indians . Smriti inching towards a fifty of her own. The contrast between Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma is stark to say the very least. Confidence on one side. Visible nerves on the other.
Campbell returns and is getting some saw dust put on the crease. Dark clouds in the vicinity.
IND 49/0 (11 overs):
Perry begins with a ball too full for Shafali. But the teen likes these deliveries and rightly sends it down to extra cover for four. Perry recovers and gives off just two more in this over. Six off it.
IND 43/0 (10 overs):
Just the one run given by Campbell in her first international Test match. Very consistent with the good length balls. Nicely done. Will help the nerves going ahead.
Stella Campbell comes in now for Brown. She's making her Test debut.
IND 42/0 (9 overs):
Quiet over from Perry but she finds the edge off Mandhana again. But such is Smriti Mandhana's luck that the she edges the final ball to the boundary for four runs! Past slip this.
32 out of Smriti's 37 runs so far have come in boundaries .
IND 37/0 (8 overs):
Mandhana starts nicely sending Brown to the point boundary. Oh but a risky shot follows as she drives a little upward. There's a fielder there but it's gone through. Her heart would have skipped a beat there, but we have a boundary instead. She's been dismissed like this more than she would like and will be relieved to survive. And how does she show relief? With ANOTHER BOUNDARY. Three for Mandhana in this over. Scratch that. There's a fourth.
This is a Test match, you say? 16 from the over
IND 21/0 (7 overs):
Perry has come into a neat rhythm now. Just one off the over. She's teasing her deliveries outside off, but Mandhana found the fielders almost each time.
IND 20/0 (6 overs):
Just the one run for Mandhana from this Brown over. Shafali is still finding her feet this morning. Looks a tad bit unsure, especially in comparison with Smriti Mandhana.
IND 19/0 (5 overs):
Ellyse Perry is far more controlled now. She is switching between good length and fuller deliveries here but Shafali is finding the fielders every time. A maiden for Perry.
IND 19/0 (4 overs): Brown returns. To face Shafali this time. Nice variations in length here. Just the one run conceded.
Very talkative ducks (or gulls?) at the Metricon Stadium in Carrara. Wonder what they make of India's start here this morning
IND 18/0 (3 overs):
Shafali is taking strike and is given two slips. Fairly calm start but what's this! Shafali has edged one to slips and Meg Lanning seems to have dropped that one! Perry sent in a length ball and it goes low to Lanning's right but the ball slips right out of her hands. She won't be pleased with that one. Shafali gets a single. Mandhana frustrates Perry a little more with a boundary right after down fine leg. Look at the form she's in!
Healy: Morning was fairly chaotic. We had like two minutes to get ready.
On Lanning's inability to loss a toss: Meg said Mithali changed last minute and said tails instead of heads. It worked for us. She said Mithali should just stick to it and she'll win one. We don't know how she's (Meg) doing it.
IND 11/0 (2 overs): Darcie Brown is in for her first over in Test cricket and she is immediately sent off for two boundaries - one to midwicket and the other down cover. Smriti Mandhana is in fine touch. The outfield is very quick here in Carrara. A little more expensive than Brown would have liked. India, more specifically Mandhana, off to a confident start here. Can't wait to hear Healy's thoughts on comms.
IND 1/0 (1 over): Perry gets going slowly. She's varied her lengths here in this delivery, switching from back of the length balls, tight lines and overpitched balls. Just the one run off the over.
Ellyse Perry will begin proceedings for Australia. Let's begin
Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana have taken guard and as it happens - the 'Jeetega bhai jeetega, India jeetega' (India will win) are there as the background score to this start
9:58 AM IST:
Reporters in Australia have spotted Stella Campbell getting her Test cap from Mitchell Starc. The images we want to see!
23 degrees in Carrara and the clouds seem to have given way for some gorgeous blue skies. A cracking day of cricket (not jinxing anything) awaits us. Grab your snacks and join us for live action in a few minutes.
Cap presentations are all about emotions!
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9:45 AM IST:No space in the Test team for Jemimah Rodrigues . You have to feel for the young batter from Mumbai. She looked in fine touch during her stint in The Hundred. No Sneh Rana either - the star of the Bristol Test.
Another interesting tidbit for you:
Claire Polosak
is officiating today. She is the first Australian woman to officiate in all formats of the game.
9:15 AM IST: The last time India played a Test was in Bristol in June this year.
In four days of engaging red-ball cricket, Mithali Raj’s India stonewalled Heather Knight’s England to a draw after what looked like an easy win coming the host’s way. Here's a look at the stars of that game:
Who will step up for the Indians in the Gold Coast?
The Indians are on a five-match unbeaten streak in Tests. Can Australia get some revenge and spoil the party?
9:10 AM IST: Toss in 20 odd minutes. This game looks to be won and lost on the pace arsenal both teams come in with. Talia McGrath, Annabel Sutherland and Stella Campbell have been seeing having intense net sessions this morning. The team compositions will be interesting. What do you think the Indian XI should look like?
8:40 AM IST: We know how notoriously the Pink Ball can move in these games. We saw what Meghna Singh managed to get out of the surface in Mackay with her impressive outswingers. Will she make it to the lineup today? Tweet us your predicted XI at @Sportstarweb.
Listen in to what the Indian skipper had to say before the game:
More from Mithali Raj: '
MATCH PREVIEW:
Having gained in confidence with a fighting performance in the one-dayers, the Indian women’s cricket team will now have to go through a trial by fire when it make its day-night Test debut against Australia in Gold Coast on Thursday.
With the third ODI held on Sunday and the following day being a rest day, India got only two practice sessions in the lead-up to the landmark Test. The visiting team lost 2-1 in the shorter format series. The squad has very little idea about how the shiny pink ball will behave during the game at the Metricon Stadium.
Australia, which played its lone day-night Test in November 2017, also goes into the game with limited practice but its potent pace attack will be looking forward to wreaking havoc at the greenish pitch here.
India did well in its first Test outing in seven years, drawing against England in June, but the players and experts believe the skiddy pink-ball will pose a much tougher challenge for the visiting team. India and Australia last played a Test in 2006 with only Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami featuring in that game among the current players on both sides.
Harmanpreet Kaur has been ruled out even though she did have a hit in the nets on the eve of the game. Rookie batter Yastika Bhatia and pacer Meghna Singh, who made impressive debuts in the ODI series, could be handed their maiden Test caps.
Veteran Jhulan Goswami, Meghna and Pooja Vastrakar is the likely pace combination. Spinner Sneh Rana is likely to be the other all-rounder in the side alongside Deepti Sharma.
Wicket-keeper Taniya Bhatia, who was pipped by Richa Ghosh in ODIs, is expected to be back behind the stumps. Punam Raut, who featured in the England Test and has lost her place in the ODI, is expected to play.
Australia, on the other hand, has been dealt a blow ahead of the game with vice-captain Rachael Haynes ruled out due to a hamstring injury. Skipper Meg Lanning said the team will either pick a fast-bowling all-rounder or a specialist batter in her place. Annabel Sutherland, who impressed in the ODIs, is expected to make her debut.
“It will depend a little bit on the wicket. There is a green tinge there, and that potentially brings some of our pace-bowling all-rounders into the frame. We just need to decide whether we want to go with the specific batter position or with the all-rounder position so we'll make the call after training today,” said Lanning.
Australia will be aiming for a perfect game after India ended its 26-match winning streak in the third ODI.
With the pink ball, its relatively inexperienced pace attack is more than capable of troubling the Indian batters.
Shantha Rangaswamy has weighed in on the Test: “I would call it a trial by fire for the Indians. The players have hardly played with red ball in the last three-four years. Day-night Test is a completely different ball game and a much tougher challenge. Though Australia has more Test experience than India of late, its players also haven't played a lot in the whites. Some of their key players are missing and India showed (in ODIs) that Australia are beatable.”
THE SERIES SO FAR: Australia comes into this Test with a 2-1 lead in the three ODIs played in Mackay. The third ODI saw India bring Meg Lanning's side's unbeaten run in the format to an end. 26 consecutive wins in the format is no joke and it rightly took a special performance from the Indians to halt this record run. Read more here:
INJURY NEWS:
There are quite a few injury updates ahead of this Test.
Harmanpreet Kaur will not play this game due to a thumb injury. For Australia, Rachel Haynes will sit out not just this Test but the rest of the series due a hamstring injury she sustained during the ODI leg of the series.
WEATHER FORECAST: There is a storm warning and a rain forecast for the first two days of the Test. We hope we manage to get some decent time out in the field today and tomorrow.
HERE'S HOW THE POINTS TABLE OF THE MULTI-FORMAT SERIES LOOKS:
START OF PLAY: 10 AM IST
SQUADS:
Australia: Meg Lanning (c), Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Stella Campbell, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Redmayne, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham.
India: Mithali Raj (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh, Ekta Bisht.
WHERE TO WATCH
You can catch the third ODI between India and Australia on the Sony Sports Network. The match will also be streamed live on the Sony Liv app.
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