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 2's play today.
LIVE: Final day of the AUS v IND Pink Ball Test:
The word is out.
Play has been called off for the day . Action will resume on Day 3 at at 9:30 am IST (2:00 pm local time).
As we await weather updates, tell us whether you would have waited for the umpire's decision. Raut, for one, didn't.
3:40 PM IST: The Metricon stadium's draining is unbelievable. The standing water in the outfield has almost completely drained out.
But here is word from Cricket Australia: Lightning remains active in close proximity to the venue. Conditions will be reassessed at 8:30pm (4 PM IST).
Mitchell Starc is still around this Test match.
He was spotted by reporters on ground catching some time in the nets while Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur also trained there. We wonder if these two sessions intertwined at any point. Here's a chat he had with the broadcasters during the course of the day.
Update: The storm has passed Carrara but it is still raining. The outfield is substantially wet and play will not resume at 3:00 pm IST (7:30 pm local time).
Key moments of the day
India would have fancied a big score as it began the second session at 231/3 with Mithali and Yastika at the crease. However, after being struck with two quick blows in the form of Yastika and Mithali's wicket, India has ended the session at 276/5. The runs are not coming as fluently as India tries to stem the flow of wickets, having lost the last four for just 79 runs.
Yastika found the leading edge off a short leg stump delivery from Ellyse Perry as Mooney completed a stunner at gully by diving forward. Following that, a mix-up between Deepti Sharma and Mithali found the skipper short of her crease. The Australian pacers, who took the new ball in the 82nd over, found more bite in the second session, but their erratic lines have prevented serious damage to the Indian side.
Earlier in the day, Smriti Mandhana brought up her maiden Test century, also becoming the first Indian to breach the triple-digit mark Down Under. Eventually, her knock of 127 came to an end as she drove straight to mid-off on a full-pitched Gardner delivery.
Following that, Punam Raut perished in one of the most bizarre of dismissals after a 20-odd run partnership with Mithali. Raut walked on a half-hearted caught behind appeal that the umpire turned down, stoking the Spirit of the Game debate currently raging across the cricketing world.
A ray of hope! Tea break will be taken at the scheduled time -- between 2:40 pm and 3:00 pm IST-- and play will resume as soon as possible.
The rain has subsided... but now there's a hail storm!!! We might be in for a long break here.
276/5 (101.5 overs): Play suspended. Weather playing spoilsport again as players are going off the field. Lightning in the area. Commentators calling it "looming bad weather".
276/5 (101 overs): Deepti goes back to fine leg to collect one. Taniya continues to defend. One run off it.
275/5 (100 overs): A single from the over. The Australians seem to be eyeing the outside off stump line, in hope of inducing the mistimed drive.
274/5 (99 overs): OUT! The skipper is run out. A direct hit from Sutherland and the umpire review shows Mithali is short of her crease. Mithali Raj run out (Sutherland) 30 (86b 5x4 0x6). Taniya Bhatia comes in at 7. Australia is sensing an opportunity here as it gets Sutherland at silly point to exert pressure on the new batter. Taniya defends to end the maiden over.
274/4 (98 overs): Deepti plays out a maiden as Mcgrath keeps it tight.
274/4 (97 overs): Molineux is brought in to reintroduce spin. Deepti drags a short one down long leg for a four.
269/4 (96 overs): Just two from it, with Mithali and Deepti getting one apiece. The quicks are sticking to the leg stump line for the left-hander Deepti.
267/4 (95 overs): Deepti off the mark with a boundary. A nothing full-toss wide outside off and Deepti pounces on it to force it past backward point for four.
263/4 (94 overs): Just two from the over as McGrath is brought back. Mithali flicks one down the leg to run a couple.
261/4 (93 overs): OUT! Yastika gone! The probing down the leg line finally wields results. Perry bowls it slightly fuller this time and Yastika gets the leading edge to gully. Yastika Bhatia c Beth Mooney b Ellyse Perry 19 (40b 3x4 0x6) . Deepti Sharma walks in and defends her first ball.
260/3 (92 overs): Brown doesn't seem to getting her line right. Way outside off, including a wide down the same line. Three runs in total from that over.
257/3 (91 overs): An unconvincing lbw appeal from Perry as an inswinger beats Mithali on front foot and hits her on the upper thigh. Hawk eye however shows the ball hitting top of leg. The skipper is stung by that ball and the physio is on the field to have a look. Mithali settling back in with a few dots and edges one that falls short of first slip to end the over.
257/3 (90 overs): Yastika getting a move on. A loose short ball wide outside off from Brown and the left-hander drives through the covers for a boundary. Yastika smashes a short one down the leg to deep square leg for a four. Two boundaries and a single from the over.
248/3 (89 overs): Perry bowls short outside leg and Bhatia pulls it down fine leg for a four. Six runs off the over.
242/3 (88 overs): Just a single off Brown's over who is bowling a tight line on the leg stump.
241/3 (87 overs):Oh Mooney has dropped Mithali Rajat gully. Beth Mooney will be kicking herself about this one. Perry left disappointed once more.
240/3 (86 overs): Darcie Brown from the other end now. Mithali Raj uses a ball going outside off, full in length and nudges it away from her body to the boundary. Five runs in total from this over.
235/3 (85 overs):
Perry will get Australia started post dinner. Mithali Raj wants to let her know that she means business and punishes a full length ball with a gorgeous cover drive. Textbook from the Indian skipper.
12:40 PM IST: We're back for the post-dinner session.
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DINNER: It's been a mixed bag kind of session for both sides.
Mandhana and Raut got off to a good start this morning. Mandhana reached her maiden Test century and went on to make 127 before falling to Gardner. Mithali Raj then joined Raut after which the latter was dismissed - actually, the umpire denied the wicket but Raut walked anyway thinking she had edged the ball to Healy. Bizarre but a wicket that has brought up the spirit of the game discussion again. 99 runs came off this session at the cost of two wickets. Yastika Bhatia and Raj are at the crease.
What's an idea target India should be looking at? Tweet to us and tell us at @Sportstarweb. #AUSvIND
231/3 (84 overs):
McGrath replaces Sutherland. One leg-bye as the ball goes fine after hitting Mithali's thigh pad. The Aussie quicks are struggling to control the new ball. McGrath is bowling wide outside off as Yastika is happy to leave. Better line, closer to the stumps, to end the over. And it is time for dinner!
230/3 (83 overs): Maiden from Perry with the new ball.
230/3 (82 overs): The new ball has been taken and Sutherland will do the honours. She bowls a wayward line and the ball races past Healy for 5-wides. Sutherland goes down leg again and the ball catches Mithali's thigh before running fine for four byes. Mithali cuts past point for two runs. Expensive over, 11 from it.
219/3 (81 overs): Molineux comes on and the Aussies have not yet taken the new ball. WICKET! Punam Raut c Healy b Molineux 36 (165b 2x4) Raut walks after a half-hearted appeal! The ball catches a fine edge as Raut looks to defend off the front foot. Yastika Bhatia walks in and gets off the mark straightway with a couple.
217/2 (80 overs): A half-hearted appeal from Sutherland after the ball finds Mithali's pads as she misses. Probably going down the leg. Lucky boundary for Mithali. She pokes outside off and edges just over gully for four. A wide as the ball blazes way over the batter's head. Mithali edges again and it is just short of the fielder at point.
212/2 (79 overs): Molineux is back into the attack. A couple of runs for Raut as she edges past gully. Molineux is keeping it full between middle and off and Raut is happy to defend.
210/2 (78 overs): Sutherland mixing her length well. Bowls a well directed bouncer after three overpitched deliveries outside off. Raut drives to short mid-off to steal a single.
209/2 (77 overs): Elegant four Raut. Gardner tosses it up and Raut just drives it through cover for a boundary.
205/2 (76 overs): Another maiden from Sutherland as Australia looks to get a stranglehold over the flow of runs.
205/2 (75 overs): Maidens from Sutherland and Gardner. Sutherland is looking good, managing to beat the batter quite a few times.
205/2 (73 overs): Lovely boundary from Mithali Raj here. She sweeps Gardner behind square for four runs. Sutherland gets to it but it's reached the ropes before she gets her hands to it.
200/2 (72 overs): Two runs from this Brown over.
198/2 (71 overs): Maiden over from Gardner. The focus is clearly to stifle the scoring. Are they taking advantage of the new batter and the new stand that needs to now be made? Maybe not entirely
STAT: Gardner has managed to get Smriti's wicket SIX TIMES in international cricket. Bunny!
197/2 (70 overs)
: Pace introduced with Darcie Brown into the attack. Raut takes a single. Mithali off the mark as she tucks one for a quick single. Two runs from this over.
195/2 (69 overs): OUT! Mandhana departs as she hands one straight to mid-off off Gardner. Mithali plays out four dots and its a wicket maiden. WICKETSmriti Mandhana c McGrath b Gardner 127 (216b 22x4 1x6)
195/1 (68 overs): Raut drives through mid-off for two runs and the 100 partnership is up! Two singles as four come off the Wareham over.
191/1 (67 overs): Another maiden, this time from Gardner as Mandhana consistently pushes to the fielder at cover.
191/1 (66 overs): Wareham to continue the proceedings. The leggie keeps Raut quiet with a maiden over. After bowling outside off for the first three deliveries, Wareham looks to attack the stumps as Raut defends.
191/1 (65 overs): Gardner concedes a single in this over. Time for drinks.
STAT: Mandhana's 126* is the highest score against Australia in Australia in women's Tests.
190/1 (64 overs): Wareham is also strangling the scoring now but Mandhana is not your ordinary batter. She drives down covers for a lovely boundary. Outfield is quick. Four runs! Mandhana has split the field there. Smriti can do no wrong! Six runs come off this over.
184/1 (63 overs): There seems to be a slight anxiousness to Raut's batting and Gardner is happy to test it. She's getting edges and forcing Raut to settle for defense. Will she manage to get her wicket soon? The Australians will be hoping on that. For now, the scoreboard is ticking much slower - little victories for the host.
183/1 (62 overs):
Wareham again. It looks like she is managing some turn enough to excite the close in fielders. But she's gifted a short ball here to Raut who does not waste the opportunity. Pulls to the square boundary for four, seemingly nutmegging a fielding enroute.
Mooney is being asked if any sledging is happening: They (the opposition) don't do much so we're keeping quiet. Healy is sledging me more than them.
179/1 (61 overs):
Another maiden from Ash Gardner. She has understood the assignment. Onus on Lanning to tweak field placements to create opportunities here with the spinners.
Full spin now as Gardner comes in at the other end.
179/1 (60 overs): Wareham into the attack finally!
Three runs off her first over in this match but interesting line here from the spinner. Will be interesting to see how she goes in this session
176/1 (59 overs):
Maiden over from Gardner. If Australia can't figure out Smriti, why not focus on Punam? As long as this stand stays steady, Australia is going to remain on the backfoot.
176/1 (58 overs):
Campbell comes in at the other end. After a decent start, Campbell tempts Smriti but she will bite and get back to back boundaries as a result. The first one produces a thick edge towards point - a big and consistent area of opportunity off Smriti's bat. But it survives and goes off past wide slip. This total is surging.
10 runs off this over.
166/1 (57 overs): And Gardner does what she's brought in for. Just the one run. Keeping it tight. Can she squeeze out a wicket too?
Gardner into the attack now.
Lanning resorting to spin.
Here's a look at how Mandhana got to that century
165/1 (56 overs): Six runs come off this Campbell over courtesy a gorgeous boundary off Mandhana's bat that goes fine. Her innings has been a sight for sore eyes.
159/1 (55 overs): One run from this Sutherland over. Perry is being given a breather.
158/1 (54 overs): Just the one run off the over. Still no breakthrough in sight.
Stella Campbell into the attack. Can the Aussies manage a wicket here?
157/1 (53 overs): Maiden for Sutherland.
157/1 (52 overs): Perry into the attack. Lovely footwork from Mandhana to send this second delivery from Perry to the boundary in deep square leg. And then comes another boundary, pulled this time. HUNDRED FOR MANDHANA and what a way to get to it. Her maiden triple digit score in Test cricket and against quality opposition. She becomes the first Indian woman to score a century on Australian soil. First century in Australia by a visiting batter who is not English.
More:
149/1 (51 overs): Not a big fan of creating run-out opportunities especially when a batter is in the nineties. Mandhana doing that now, with a risky run that could have gone wrong here. Easy does it, Smriti. Sutherland with a disciplined line and length here. Two runs conceded.
147/1 (50 overs): Just two runs from this Perry over. Mandhana on 92.
145/1 (49 overs): Darcie Brown's athleticism helps her save a boundary off Mandhana's bat, but Smriti is not to be denied. She goes again in the very next delivery off Sutherland going straight past the bowler and beating Perry. Into the nervous nineties is Mandhana. If anything, she's making the Aussies nervous.
138/1 (48 overs): Perry is back. Small misfield there by Campbell. Allows India two runs off the first delivery from Perry. Three runs come off in total from that over.
135/1 (47 overs): Speed remains Lanning's strategy now. Sutherland returns for her second over of this Test. Better lengths and tighter lines this morning. Two runs come off this over.
133/1 (46 overs): Perry returns to the attack now. Meg Lanning goes with the pacers again to start of with. Wonder what notes were shared in the Aussie dressing room ahead of the session today. OH AND WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE? Perry gets Mandhana! She's been caught at point but this is going to be looked at again. Dear oh dear. Her foot is way off the crease. What a miss. Mandhana survives! Her heart must be in her mouth right now. Early hiccup. Perry will be beating herself up over that overstep. Some catch there by Beth Mooney, given how close it is to the ground. I wonder if it grazes the ground a little. Shame nevertheless. Just the one run off it though.
IND 132/1 (45 overs): On the money, Ash Gardner. A quiet start, expectedly. She completes the overnight over with a maiden.
And we're back with live action this morning. Mandhana and Raut are warming up. Ashleigh Gardner is expected to finish her over that was interrupted by the second rain delay . First order of business: waiting for a Mandhana century.
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9:10 AM IST: 20 minutes to go for day 2! Here's a quick look at what Meg Lanning and Smriti Mandhana said about day 1 after play yesterday.
Mandhana: I think in the first ten overs they bowled quite short. Especially, considering the wicket. The wicket wasn’t as hard as they would have loved. I think they bowled the way they did like in the one-days, but it suited that wicket. Considering the wicket, they were slightly short in the first ten-fifteen overs, then they kind of made up for it, post that
Lanning: I don't think we made the most of the conditions. We've got a good bowling attack and have to take 20 wickets. That's been the challenge in women's Tests. Its a format we don't play a lot of so adjusting to it is a bit different. I think we've read the conditions a bit more now and hopefully we can come out tomorrow and work on the loose balls. We let them off the hook a bit with the balls of slighter shorter lengths. Hopefully we can turn it around.
PITCH REPORT: No real impact on the pitch due to overhead conditions. Expect bounce like day 1. No wear and tear. No moisture.
9 AM IST: Clear weather in Carrara now. However brace yourselves for some showers later.
8:45 AM IST: Will Smriti Mandhana score her maiden Test century or will Australia find a way to neutralise the threat the swashbuckling southpaw poses to their prospects in this Test? A quick look at Mandhana's 80*
8:30 AM IST: One hour to go for the start of play.
Rain is forecast in about an hour's time. Let's keep our fingers crossed for some good time out on the field today. Throwback to what Alyssa Healy said about factoring in the weather.
"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."
Here's where you can read more about THAT 2020 T20 World Cup semifinal:
England captain Heather Knight certainly did not have similar thoughts about the weather, given that her team's chances were washed out entirely by the weather, allowing India to go through. She called for a rule change then:
Here's a recap of the one wicket that Australia managed to get on day 1 - Molineux removing Verma
Day 01 recap:
- Meg Lanning won the toss and chose to field
- Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma put together a 93-run partnership for the first wicket
- Australian pacers struggled to bowl the right lengths to the openers, especially Smriti. The wicket did not provide the help Lanning anticipated
- Lone wicket of Shafali Verma falls on day 1
- Rain washed out two sessions almost entirely
- India ends day 1 on 132/1 with Smriti Mandhana unbeaten on 80
- Adjustment: Day 2,3,4 will begin 30 minutes early to adjust overs lost on day 1
Here is a detailed analysis of day 1 and what went right and wrong for both sides:
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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.
HERE'S HOW THE POINTS TABLE OF THE MULTI-FORMAT SERIES LOOKS:
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.harm
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