Smriti lights up rainy Day 1 in pink-ball Test
CHANDIGARH: A trip into the unknown for India women turned into a dream initiation in a pink-ball Test, on Day 1 against Australia at the Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast on Thursday. India got to train with the pink kookaburra only two days, but had little to complain until rain forced a heavily truncated day.
It was the Indian women’s first Test for 15 years against Australia, and Smriti Mandhana made it a memorable resumption to be unbeaten on a careerbest 80 (144b, 15x4, 1x6). India ended on 132/1.
It wasn’t a bad call by Australia captain Meg Lanning to bowl first in the Day/night game. The pitch was green and the hosts had picked four young fast bowlers—annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Darcie Brown and Stella Campbell made debuts.
Openers Shafali Verma and Mandhana raised 93 runs, dominating the pacers. Young Verma cut down on aggression and let her partner lead the scoring until she was out on 31. Punam Raut was on 16. Only 44.1 overs could be bowled after heavy rain started at around dinner break.
Like in the final ODI, Verma fell trying to attack left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux, but Mandhana was in supreme form, exhibiting tremendous skill playing through the off-side by finding the gaps. The Australia pace attack led by Ellyse Perry largely bowled a fuller length to Mandhana and the left-handed batter creamed them. India reached 50 in just 11.1 overs.
“We just had two sessions with the pink ball. I was coming from the Hundred, so I didn’t really get much time to play with the pink ball, but during the Hundred, I ordered a pink kookaburra ball just to keep it in my room. I knew there is going to be a Test, so I can just look at the ball and understand,” the 25-year-old said during a virtual media conference after play.
“I have actually not batted; I batted for just two sessions but the pink ball was there in my kit bag for the last two-and-a-half, three months. I don’t know why I carried it. I thought I will have a session, but didn’t get time.”
Mandhana’s extra-ordinary shots off the front and back foot made the day special for her. The 25-year-old batter who made 78 in the drawn Test in England in June cut and pulled with ease, racing to her third fifty in only her fourth Test off 51 balls.
Verma was dropped on 3, 19 and 25 with skipper Lanning grassing two of them. First was an edge off Perry to Lanning at first slip. Lanning then dropped her off Molineux in the slip before debutant Annabel Sutherland put down the easiest of the chances at mid-on. Eventually, Verma played against the spin off Molineux to be caught by Tahila Mcgrath at mid-offr. The 17-year-old, who hit 96 against England on debut, hit four fours.
Raut, who didn’t play in the ODIS, was defensive and put the brakes on Mandhana’s scoring. At one point, she made one run off 22 deliveries.
A heavy downpour with India on 114/1 caused an almost twohour break. There was a brief resumption when Mandhana hit two pulls off Mcgrath to reach 80. Lanning used seven bowlers. Darcie Brown conceded 28 runs off her four overs. Spinners Ashleigh Gardner and Molineux though were economical.
Light showers are predicted on the second day as well in this four-day game. India left out allrounder Sneh Rana and handed Test debuts to left-handed batter Yastika Bhatia and pacer Meghna Singh, who both impressed in the ODI series. Brief scores: India 132/1 (S Mandhana 80*; S Molineux 1/18) vs Australia at stumps on Day 1.