There don’t seem to be any post-match interviews, so time to switch off from Mumbai. Performance of the day goes to Pooja Vastrakar, who picked up four for 53 in spells of aggressive, skilful bowling. The spinners gathered up the rest, alongside a dozy run-out in the first over after Australia won the toss and chose to bat.
Smriti Madhana (43 not out) and Shafali Verma then rattled along to put India in an excellent position for day two. Jim and I will be back tomorrow – thanks for all your emails, with the jury still out on coloured Christmas tree lights. Have a lovely day – bye!
What a cracking day of Test Cricket – with India well on top after bowling out the Aussies in just over two sessions and whizzing along to 98-1 at stumps, at nearly five an over.
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Stumps! India 98-1, trail Australia (219) by 121 runs
19th over: India 98-1 (Smriti 43, Rana 4) Rana sticks bat and pad forward and sees off the final over of the day from Jonassen.
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18th over: India 98-1 (Smriti 43, Rana 4) Smriti not freezing with the imminent close, guiding Gardner’s first ball for four. A near-mix up as Smriti turns down an easy single. One over to go – I think.
17th over: India 94-1 (Smriti 39, Rana 4) Australia delighted to see the back of the dangerous Shafali, the bowling change to Jonassen bringing instant results. Nightwatchwoman Rana is off the mark with a cover drive for four off a half volley. Five minutes or so of play left – a couple of over’s you’d have thought.
WICKET! Shafali lbw Jonassen 40 (India 90-1)
Shafali doesn’t want to go – but she must: pushes forward, misses and hit on the back pad.
16th over: India 90-0 (Shafali 40, Smriti 39) The start of a beautiful Mumbai sunset, as Gardner reels through her fourth – the first that isn’t a maiden.
One of the most important aspects of these two games for India has been Pooja Vastrakar comprehensively out bowling England and Australia's seamers.
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) December 21, 2023
15th over: India 86-0 (Shafali 38, Smriti 37) Gorgeous – Shafali, with perfect balance, kisses Perry straight back to the fence. Four more, a legside full toss, flicked off the ankles, closing the face for safety. Perry prevents more runs with a nice pick-up off her own bowling.
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14th over: India 77-0 (Shafali 29, Smriti 37) Litchfield comes in under the lid at short leg. Gardner, short blond ponytail, long sleeved shirt, fizz at her fingers. Shafali carefully defends back. We must be heading towards stumps – but I’m not sure how close we are.
13th over: India 76-0 (Shafali 29, Smriti 37) Perry again, as the cameras pull back to show a bird’s eye of the Wankhede stadium. India happy to pick off a couple of singles. The commentators note that Shafali has calmed down a little, content to just push into the field.
12th over: India 75-0 (Shafali 28, Smriti 36) Gardner fizzing it out of the hand, four byes fly past Healy.
11th over: India 71-0 (Shafali 28, Smriti 36) Perry continues, Shafali not tempted by a fat, wide one first ball. An inside edge from Smriti ziz-zags past Healy for four, who covers her face with her gloves at the run-away scoreboard.
And, possibly, a last word on Christmas lights – this time from Gary Lloyd. “White lights here because that’s what it was last year and the year before…”
10th over: India 64-0 (Shafali 27, Smriti 30) Healy calls for spin, in the guise of Ash Gardner, and immediately the runs dry up. A maiden.
9th over: India 64-0 (Shafali 27, Smriti 30) Ellyse Perry replaces Cheatle, Smriti picks up two off the back foot, but then the bleeper goes for no ball. Smriti immediately pulls four square. And another, a wide Christmas pudding pinged to the offside boundary. Another no ball.
”A slightly controversial topic in our house. I’d opt for multi-coloured lights, but my wife is very much a white light woman,” writes Matthew L. “Does it look much better with just white? Yes. Would it look a total disaster if I was left to my own devices? Also yes.”
8th over: India 51-0 (Shafali 27, Smriti 19) Shafali sends Garth for another frisky, risky, edge past second slip for four. Striding wide and looking awkward. Much better shot for four more, an over-pitched ball from Garth sent on its way through the covers. Fifty up in 7.4 overs.
7th over: India 43-0 (Shafali 19, Smriti 19) Nice over by Cheatle.
“In the 1950s and 60s Christmas tree lights were always coloured,” writes Anthony Aldred. Thanks Dad!
6th over: India 41-0 (Shafali 18, Smriti 18) Another over for Garth, who has a pep talk from Ellyse Perry, as sudden sunlight through yonder Manchester window breaks. Inside-out, one-legged drive for four by Shafali – not sure she was completely in control of that. The next goes the same way. Runs notching up nicely here for India, though some testing bowling from Garth.
5th over: India 33-0 (Shafali 10, Smriti 18) Tighter from Cheatle, just a leg bye off it.
4th over: India 32-0 (Shafali 10, Smriti 18) Smriti eyes up a fractionally over-pitched ball, angles her bat, leans, and sends the ball screaming square. A second consecutive four as she steers one past her ankles to the rope. A dashing start here for India. And four byes polishes off the over, the ball swinging past Healy.
It seems Mark Gretton and I are outnumbered: “We have white lights,” writes Neil Smallman, “Simple is best!”
3rd over: India 20-0 (Shafali 10, Smriti 10) The shiniest bauble on the shiniest tree, as Shafali leans into Cheatle and sends her dashing through the covers for four. And another, glorious, an over-pitched ball driven square.
What have I started? Hello Robin! “Coloured lights are vulgar and garish and quite unsuitable for Christmas trees. Besides they scare Father Christmas’s elves and curdle his brandy…known fact.”
2nd over: India 10-0 (Shafali 0, Smriti 10) Smriti leans back and eases Garth to the rope, and a second through the covers – at least I think it was, they switch to ads before she’s through the shot. Ah no, just two, but four more come, very streakily, as Garth brings one in and Smriti is within half a breath of hitting her own stumps with an inside edge.
India's innings
1st over: India 0-0 (Shafali 0, Smriti 0) Test debutant Cheatle opens the bowling, starting with a yorker and moving through the gears with every ball. Shafali plays her back: a maiden.
An outrageous christmas tree light opinion drops by from Jasper Lloyd: “Coloured Christmas tree lights are an absolute no no. They need to be warm white at around 3000K (Kelvin). However I drove through Hungerford last night and they have hundreds of small Christmas trees along the high street at around 4600k - which was very pretty, so there are exceptions to the rule.”
77.4 overs: Australia 219 all out (Garth 28) Harmanpreet, whose resting face is permanently set in lemon-chewing mode, looks even more disapproving than normal – but then Cheatle loses her battle with restlessness, and lofts, where Mandhana takes the catch running from mid-off. Rana finishes with three wickets, Deepti with two, Vastrakar with four. An excellent performance by India, but Australia did well to fight back from 7 for tw0, and then to add 51 for the last two wickets.
WICKET! Cheatle c Mandhana b Rana 6 (Australia 219 all out)
Cheatle has an impatient hoof and Mandhana takes the catch after seeming to lose it in the sky.
77th over: Australia 218-9 (Garth 27, Cheatle 6) Deepti wheels through six more, Australia see her off. The new ball will be available in three overs and the players take DRINKS! Total advert switch for women’s Tests – sanitary towels and washing machines!
76th over: Australia 217-9 (Garth 26, Cheatle 6) Cheatle drives powerfully and picks up four straight past a dramatically swallow-driving Rana. A tickle behind brings a boundary to Garth. Crucial runs this for the last wicket.
75th over: Australia 207-9 (Garth 21, Cheatle 1)Deepti continues – Australia’s bowlers must be licking their lips at what looks like it will be a nice little session at the end of the day. Garth sweeps, misses, the umpire reviews a stumped appeal – but Garth keeps the toe of her boot just on the crease. A maiden.
74th over: Australia 207-9 (Garth 21, Cheatle 1) Garth, wearing the mantle of accumulation responsibility, misses a sweep , but she and Garth pick up three singles.
73rd over: Australia 204-9 (Garth 19, Cheatle 0) Harmanpreet whistles for Vastrakar – which results in a chat with umpire – not sure what’s happening there. Deepti resumes. Ah – it is because Vastrakar was off the field for a certain amount of time and hasn’t made it up yet. Australia pass the magic 200, in fact five from Deepti’s over.
72nd over: Australia 199-9 (Garth 14, Cheatle 0) Another over rattled through by Rajeshwari.
71st over: Australia 198-9 (Garth 13, Cheatle 0) A straight drive past the diving hand of bowler Deepti brings Jonassen four, and, emboldened, she reverse-sweeps to her doom. India review a second lbw in the over against Test debutant Cheatle, but there is a deviation from bat onto pad.
WICKET! Jonassen lbw Deepti 19 (Australia 198-9)
Jonassen plumps for a reverse-sweep, misses, and the ball hits on the edge of the front pad. Given not out on the field, but India review and this time get their woman.
70th over: Australia 194-8 (Jonassen 15, Garth 13) Another maiden rips by – Rajeshwari reels through her variations: now has 12 overs for 28.
69th over: Australia 194-8 (Jonassen 15, Garth 13) Jonassen reverse-sweeps with aplomp, but Shafali is lurking at points and swoops with one hand to cut it of. Another maiden.
Hello Mark Gretton!
“Absolutely with you on the coloured Christmas tree lights. My childhood Christmases were in the 60s and 70s and a real tree with brightly coloured lights was how I learned it should be done.
”Though at times these days this has been much-mocked on social media by youngsters (ie people under the age of 50) with sophisticated white lights, I do love the coloured exuberance for its own sake as well as the memories evoked. And when was Christmas ever about looking sophisticated? Enjoy the flamboyantly coloured ecstasy!”
68th over: Australia 194-8 (Jonassen 14, Garth 13) Garth picks up a single, off Rajeshwari; Jonassen tries to hurry things up by sweeping, inelegantly. India review it … though I’m not convinced, it seems to have hit her hip. Not sure Harmanpreet is either as she and Shafali Verma have a giggle as they watch the review. Two reviews remaining for India.
67th over: Australia 190-8 (Jonassen 14, Garth 10) Jonassen tries to break the stranglehold by having a good old fashioned swipe at Deepti – but misses. Another maiden.
66th over: Australia 190-8 (Jonassen 14, Garth 10) Another maiden, the third in four overs, as the slow left arm of Rajeshwari Gayakward returns.
Interesting:
Just like in 2014, when the BCCI refused to allow the ECB to make the Wormsley Test part of a points-based series.
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) December 20, 2023
Very odd indeed - I can’t see any reason why you wouldn’t want to give the Test added context?! https://t.co/3MtkSqcMQg
65th over: Australia 190-8 (Jonassen 14, Garth 10) Pooja Vastraka gets a rest, Deepti returns. Garth nearly falls for the switch straight away, having a drive of relief, the ball just missing the outside edge.
64th over: Australia 189-8 (Jonassen 14, Garth 9) Rana smiling, always smiling, floats down tempters, full and slow. The elegant bare bones of the Wankhede stadium watches. A maiden.
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63rd over: Australia 189-8 (Jonassen 14, Garth 9)Vastrakar gets one to loop away from the probing Garth. The next jags in – super bowling. A maiden.
62nd over: Australia 189-8 (Jonassen 14, Garth 9) Interested to know if there is an OBO consensus on Christmas tree lights. After having warm white ones for ages, I swapped to coloured bulbs a couple of years ago and I love them - it really reminds me of my childhood in the 80s. Rana reels through another over, Jonassen tucks into a full toss on the pads and flambees it for six.
Evening session
61st over: Australia 182-8 ( Jonassen 8, Garth 8 ) Can India rattle through these last two wickets and get a good hour in with the bat? Harmanpreet turns to her daemon Vastrakar: nice, solid, tricky over.
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Time for me to make a quick pot of coffee – back soon!
Tea: Australia 180-8
60th over: Australia 180-8 ( Jonassen 6, Garth 8 ) Carefully, carefully, Jonassen prods forward at Rana. And that’s the over, and the session. A tight-lipped Australia stroll over, losing four wickets in the first session, four wickets after lunch – advantage India!
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59th over: Australia 179-8 ( Jonassen 5, Garth 8 ) Just one from Deepti’s over as Australia play for tea.
58th over: Australia 178-8 ( Jonassen 4, Garth 8 ) Rana continues as the dog snores net to me in a perfect doughnut. OOof, Garth nearly beaten as she plays forward, the next is on leg stump and Garth turns it away for four. “India” shouts echo round the fairly empty stadium. And Deepti shells another at slip, a hard one as Garth gets an outside edge and she can’t grasp on with one hand. A tricksy over.
57th over: Australia 173-8 ( Jonassen 3, Garth 4 ) Vastrakar. Fizzes one in which rises despite the low bounce and Garth ducks underneath. Ten minutes or so till tea.
56th over: Australia 170-8 ( Jonassen 2, Garth 2 ) Dawn has broken and the silver birch outside the window is now visible – waving its fingers in some disbelief at the Australian scorecard. They do at least survive an lbw shout in the over, as Garth is given out on the field, but saved on review which clearly shows bat before pad.
WICKET! King c Yastika b Rana 5 (Australia 168-8)
Rana replaces Deepti, a huge appeal first ball. The umpire says no, but India want this. And sure enough, a fine squiggle appears on the DRS monitor as King pushes forward.
55th over: Australia 168-7 ( Jonassen 2, King 5) Vastrakar, collar flicked, tail up, hedgehog hair high with product. Makes the ball sing,
54th over: Australia 165-7 ( Jonassen 0, King 5) King prods forward unconvincingly at Deepti, but it falls just short of Rana’s outstretched right hand at slip and rolls away for four.
53rd over: Australia 161-7 ( Jonassen 0, King 1) A fourth for Vastrakar, another excellent over, and a touch of swagger as she strolls back to her fielding position.
WICKET! Gardner c Bhatia b Vastrakar (Australia 160-7)
Gardner, drawn in, leans back and pokes like someone who doesn’t want to know what is hiding in the long grass. Bhatia does the rest.
52nd over: Australia 160-6 (Gardner 11, Jonassen 0) Just one off Deepti. An email falls: hello Kim Thonger!
“Morning Tanya. It’s a wild and windy day in Rutland.
If you want a line dropping, Blaise Pascal is your man.
“The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing”, explains the emotional motivation of almost every sports fan in history.” I love it.
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WICKET! Sutherland lbw Vastrakar 16 (Australia 159-6)
No room for error against Vastrakar! She arrows one in and pins Sutherland on the crease.
51st over: Australia 159-6 (Gardner 9) Vastrakar returns, after two crucial wickets earlier today. The spinners were doing a great containing job, let’s see what Vastrakar can do. The ball sneaks past the outside of Sutherland’s bat as she pushes forward. Hands fly on heads alround the field. Aha! The next ball creeps in and Sutherland is caugh on the crease. Doesn’t review. Bowling change manna!
50th over: Australia 157-5 (Sutherland 15, Gardner 9) Gardener breaks the string of dots by shimmying down the wicket to flick Deepti on the leg side for a single. Do drop me a line this shortest/longest day – whether you’re hunkering down in these high dark winds, heading to the beach – or anything in between
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49th over: Australia 155-5 (Sutherland 14, Gardner 8) Huge appeal off Rana’s first ball, but the umpire says no and so does Harmanpreet – perhaps stung by her review decisions over the last ten days . Sutherland goes on the attack to the second, dancing down the pitch but Rana dives full length to stop it. Nice feet by Sutherland, but a maiden.
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48th over: Australia 155-5 (Sutherland 14, Gardner 8) Deepti Sharma with the ball: long sleeves, baggy trousers, shot of short black hair, and on the back of her 9-39 against England. Has lost a few sparks of her golden crown by dropping a couple of catches today. Wheels in, Gardner plays her carefully back.
47th over: Australia 153-5 (Sutherland 14, Gardner 6) Thanks Jim! Go and tuck yourself in for a few hours. Still resolutely black here in Manchester on the winter solstice – but hot and light in Mumbai where Australia are in a bit of trouble now with the loss of Healy. Gardner flicks Rana away for four.
WICKET! Alyssa Healy b Sharma 38 (Australia 143-5)
That was indeed the ellipsis of doom as Healy is skittled by a mullygrubber! She got down to sweep and missed the ball, understandably, as it shot along at shin height. Huge wicket to India, the scales tilt towards the home side on day one.
Ash Gardner is the new batter, she gets off the mark with an edge through backward point and Sutherland sweeps succesfully for four to close out the over.
That’s me done for the day, nothing like a bit of drama to add some frisson to the handover. Here’s Tanya Aldred to take you through what already feels like a key part of the game.
46th over: Australia 148-5, (Sutherland 14, Gardner 1)
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45th over: Australia 143-4, (Healy 37, Sutherland 11) A single to Healy closes out another quiet over…
44th over: Australia 142-4, (Healy 36, Sutherland 11) A couple more to the total as an email dings in my inbox!
Guy Hornsby as a I live and breathe.
“Morning Jim. This is already a cracking contest, and (sadly) you can see the distances between England last week and this Australian side. They have so much class and poise, where I think we just needed a bit more composure last week. But this is also a wicket or two away from India really being on top. And Healy is such class, she’s the key one. That DRS call was a huge moment. Isn’t Test cricket the best?”
No arguments with any of this from me, Guy.
Updated
43rd over: Australia 140-4, (Healy 36, Sutherland 10) A maiden but with some drama as Healy is given out LBW to Gayakwad… but reviews instantly, always a sign that there’s another narrative at play… sure enough there’s a spike on the bat as the ball passes and the inside edge comes to the rescue of Australia’s captain.
42nd over: Australia 140-4, (Healy 36, Sutherland 10) The Aussies eke away, two singles off the over.
We have survived more overs than England in the first innings against India. We have won the moral #Ashes
— australian womens cricket with very little context (@awcwvlc) December 21, 2023
Yesss!! #INDvAUS
HoHoHo
Updated
41st over: Australia 138-4, (Healy 35, Sutherland 9) Both sides sizing each other up in the afternoon heat in Mumbai. Gayakwad keeps Healy honest with five dots before the batter managed to glide the final ball of the over away for a couple.
40th over: Australia 136-4, (Healy 33, Sutherland 9) Deepti Sharma comes on as Harmanpreet makes a double change. A drag down is seized upon by Sutherland, speared away wide of cover for a welcome Aussie boundary.
39th over: Australia 131-4, (Healy 32, Sutherland 5) Vastrakar takes a breather as Gayakwad comes back into the attack and stitches together a maiden.
38th over: Australia 131-4, (Healy 32, Sutherland 5) Alyssa Healy breaks the shackles against Rana. Working for two runs before shimmying down the track and bunting over the top for a well struck four.
37th over: Australia 125-4, (Healy 26, Sutherland 5) Vastrakar continues, Healy and Sutherland rotate strike for three singles. My toddler awakes and pads into the front room with a mischievous glint in her eye. This’ll test my multi-tasking skills…
36th over: Australia 122-4, (Healy 24, Sutherland 4) Rana is showing off all her skill, she’s gone for just 16 runs off her 12 overs today and has the wicket of McGrath in her pocket. Sutherland manages to clip for two as Australia slowly build their innings.
35th over: Australia 120-4, (Healy 24, Sutherland 2) Miserly stuff from the home side, just a single off Vastrakar, Sutherland working into a gap and calling Healy through for a well judged run.
Unlike this one from earlier…
𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦!
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 21, 2023
Run-out ✅
Timber strike ✅
How about that for a start from #TeamIndia 👏 👏
Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/8qTsM8XSpd #INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/lwYbEhklbj
Fire up the barbie!
34th over: Australia 119-4, (Healy 24, Sutherland 1) Sutherland is off the mark with a punch off the pads into the leg side.
ICYMI – Lauren Cheatle is making her Test debut for Australia.
What a remarkable story! 😍
— ABC SPORT (@abcsport) December 21, 2023
Left-arm quick Lauren Cheatle first debuted for the Aussie team seven years ago, before a horrid run of injuries kept her out of contention.
Today Cheats makes her Test debut against India — such a great example of hard work and resilience! #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/pUEpncU0SQ
33rd over: Australia 118-4, (Healy 24, Sutherland 0) Bright start for Healy in the afternoon session, she plays a lovely late dab off Vastrakar and gets it wide of point and in the gap for four runs.
15 of the 21 sessions played in women's Test cricket this year have featured 100+ runs. That is a revolutionary pace of scoring compared with much of the history of the format.#INDvAUS
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) December 21, 2023
32nd over: Australia 114-4, (Healy 20, Sutherland 0) Rana replaces Renuka who gets just the single over spell post lunch. Healy is watchful, shuffling back and flicking to leg for the only run of the over.
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31st over: Australia 113-4, (Healy 19, Sutherland 0) Vastrakar - vanquisher of Perry and Mooney in the morning session - is over the wicket with two slips and a gully. She serves up a full bunger to Healy who clips it away for four with ease. A nudge to leg brings a single.
30th over: Australia 108-4, (Healy 14, Sutherland 0) Here come the players for the afternoon session. Sun beating down in Mumbai. Sky inkier than a squid with a weakness for calligraphy here in London.
Healy punches Renuka Singh through cover for four in the first over back, Annabel Sutherland has joined her skipper in the middle.
Lunch - Australia 103-4
India take the morning spoils then with that dramatic prising of Mooney for a patient 40 on the stroke of the interval. Harmanpreet leads her side off in Mumbai with a beaming smile. Can her opposite number Alyssa Healy do the requisite rebuild job with the bat in the afternoon session? Australia have Annabel Sutherland, Ash Gardner and Jess Jonassen to come, between them they’ll need to knuckle down and get their side up to a competitive total (at least 250) in this first innings, especially after winning the toss and getting first use of a decent Wankhede deck.
Time for some early morning sustenance here in London, I’ll be back soon for the afternoon session. Do drop me a line if you are tuning in, I’ll delve into the OBO mailbag with my ‘Full Scandi’ (muesli).
29th over: Australia 103-4, (Healy 9)
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WICKET! Beth Mooney c Rana b Vastrakar 40 (Australia 103-4)
Vastrakar removes Mooney with the final ball before lunch! What a moment in this first session – a short ball is speared in and rears up at Mooney who gets a meaty glove on it that loops to Rana in the slips for a simple catch.
28th over: Australia 100-3, (Mooney 38, Healy 8) Hundred up for Australia with a Healy drive into the covers. I’d say the spoils have been shared this morning if there are no more wickets in the few minutes we’ve got til the lunch break.
27th over: Australia 99-3, (Mooney 38, Healy 7) That’ll do! Healy gets off the mark with a SIX lofted down the ground and over the rope at mid on. After facing a dozen dots the Aussie skipper decides enough is enough. A poke to point brings her a single and she’ll keep strike.
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26th over: Australia 92-3, (Mooney 38, Healy 0) A maiden from Rana to Mooney who breathes deeply between each delivery, bringing the heart rate back down after that close run thing in the previous over.
25th over: Australia 92-3, (Mooney 38, Healy 0) Drama! Beth Mooney is given out on the field LBW to Deepti, the ball hitting her on the toe… it looks very adjacent in real time but the batter calls for a review. NOT OUT! DRS has the ball sliding just past leg stump and Mooney survives! That’s a big moment, Mooney has a track record of batting long, she’s crucial to Aussie hopes of making a decent first innings total. India cannot believe that ball is missing, hands on heads in the huddle as the verdict came back from the big screen.
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24th over: Australia 89-3, (Mooney 39, Healy 0) Dot followed dot followed dot followed dot… Australia becalmed after the loss of McGrath.
23rd over: Australia 88-3, (Mooney 38, Healy 0) Deepti Sharma into the attack. A slip and short leg in place to greet Healy after Mooney nudges a single off the first ball. Good pressure built from Deepti, who sends down five dots to keep Healy honest.
WICKET! Tahlia McGrath c Gayakwad b Rana 50 (Australia 87-3)
Gone now though! Out of nowhere too after looking so comfortable for her entire stay at the crease, McGrath mis-times a flick to midwicket and plinks the ball in the air for a leaping Gayakwad to grab the catch.
New skipper Alyssa Healy strides out to the middle to join Mooney. Big twenty minutes before lunch incoming.
22nd over: Australia 87-3, (Mooney 37, Healy 0)
21st over: Australia 86-2, (Mooney 37, McGrath 50) That’s fifty for Tahlia McGrath, well batted! She came in with Australia teetering at 7-2 and played some glorious strokes, hitting eight boundaries in no time at all. She brings up the half ton with a push into the covers for a single.
20th over: Australia 80-2, (Mooney 28, McGrath 48) Rana whirls away, just a couple of singles to Australia.
Ellyse Perry hands debut Test cap to Lauren Cheatle! 🇦🇺🧢#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/kimUFNVQlr
— Women’s CricZone (@WomensCricZone) December 21, 2023
19th over: Australia 78-2, (Mooney 27, McGrath 47) Shot! Mooney rocks back to a short ball from Gayakwad and times nicely through cover for four to pick up her second boundary. Still pitch black here in London, as the shortest day of the year creaks into life. I can hear a fox sniffing away at the bins outside my window. Boggis, Bunce and Bins.
18th over: Australia 73-2, (Mooney 22, McGrath 47) Things have calmed down a touch at the Wankhede after that dramatic start an hour or so ago. Three singles collected off the spin of Rana.
17th over: Australia 70-2, (Mooney 20, McGrath 46) Gayakwad is getting the ball to fizz on off the surface. Mooney is watchful, she’s faced 56 balls for her twenty runs whilst McGrath has whizzed to 46 off 44 at the other end.
16th over: Australia 68-2, (Mooney 19, McGrath 45) A probing over from Rana sees a sharp chance put down by Deepti Sharma at slip after the ball took the edge of McGrath’s and flicked Ghosh’s gloves on the way to her. Sharma was caught a bit flat footed there, that’s the second chance she’s grassed this morning.
15th over: Australia 66-2, (Mooney 18, McGrath 44) Gayakwad continues, giving the ball plenty of flight from around the wicket. She gives one a bit too much air and McGrath needs no further invitation to get on the front foot and drive away for four.
14th over: Australia 62-2, (Mooney 18, McGrath 40) A couple of singles off Rana in the first over back after refreshments. These two have chalked up a fifty partnership at a decent lick.
13th over: Australia 60-2, (Mooney 17, McGrath 39) Spin from both ends now, a test of technique for the batters in the middle and this bleary eyed OBO scribe as the overs tend to rattle by at warp speed. Rajeshwari Gayakwad into the attack with a couple of slips and a silly point in place. McGrath is watchful for four balls before pouncing on a shorter one and flaying through point for a boundary. Time for a drink.
12th over: Australia 56-2, (Mooney 17, McGrath 35) Eeeesht. Rana starts with a tidy maiden, including a stifled appeal to a forward prod from Mooney that looked to hit pad first… India shrug it off but if they had reviewed then Mooney would have been sent packing! The ball was hitting middle and definitely struck pad first. A let off for Australia.
11th over: Australia 56-2, (Mooney 17, McGrath 35) Beth Mooney accumulates, angling into the off side for a couple and driving through cover to pick up a further three runs. We’re going to see spin for the first time in the Test, Sneh Rana is coming on to replace Pooja Vastrakar who pocketed Perry emphatically in her first over.
10th over: Australia 50-2, (Mooney 12, McGrath 34) Australia rattling along at five an over despite the early losses of Litchfield and Perry. Shot of the morning from McGrath! An imperious drive on bended knee that skims across the baize to the boundary. Fifty up for the visitors.
9th over: Australia 45-2, (Mooney 12, McGrath 29) The runs continue to come for Australia who are rebuilding well in Mumbai after that calamitous start. McGrath punches a length ball to the off side fence and Mooney gets in on the act with a drive through cover. This isn’t the docile graveryard shift I was expecting ease me into the day, no complaints though!
@Jimbo_Cricket enjoying your coverage of the Aus-Ind women’s test - here’s hoping it goes for four days, right down to the wire, and Australia wins it at the last minute with a great Ellyse Perry batting performance
— john maynard keynes gaming (@theloneamigo) December 21, 2023
I think this Mr Keynes could be an Aussie… be good though wouldn’t it?
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8th over: Australia 36-2, (Mooney 8, McGrath 24) Yikes. Vastrakar stitches together a maiden and beats the bat of Beth Mooney three times in the over.
7th over: Australia 36-2, (Mooney 8, McGrath 24) DROP! McGrath slashes at a ball that moved across her and the sharp chance is shelled by Deepti Sharma in the cordon. McGrath shrugs it off by gliding the next ball down through point for a boundary. It’s been an exciting start eh!
Is there anyone out there? Drop me a line why dontcha? Email me here or give me a nudge @Jimbo_Cricket.
6th over: Australia 27-2, (Mooney 7, McGrath 16) Vastrakar tests out the middle of the pitch and McGrath stands tall to punch through the off side for another four, she looks in fine fettle.
Phoebe Litchfield is the first women's opening batter to be dismissed through run-out for zero in W-Tests since 1961.
— Cricket.com (@weRcricket) December 21, 2023
Mary Taylor (ENG-W) in 1937 vs AUS-W
Joyce Powell (NZ-W) in 1957 vs ENG-W
Kit Raymond (AUS-W) in 1961 vs NZ-W#INDvAUS
Gah!
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5th over: Australia 19-2, (Mooney 6, McGrath 9) India go for a review for an LBW against Beth Mooney who is walking across her stumps but missing a clip into the leg side. NOT OUT. The umpire was unmoved despite DRS showing the the ball was clipping the leg stump. The decision stands but India keep hold of their review.
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4th over: Australia 17-2, (Mooney 4, McGrath 9) Vastrakar continues with a packed slip cordon. Shot! McGrath crunches a drive through the covers for four to release a hiss of pressure. And again! A length ball is flayed through the covers with fast hands and aplomb. The outfield looks quick and the ball is coming onto the bat nicely, there is also some early movement though, as Perry found out to her cost.
Ellyse Perry has now been dismissed bowled in each of her last 2 Test innings
— Mohit Shah (@mohit_shah17) December 21, 2023
Before that, she was only bowled once in her entire Test career#INDvAUS
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3rd over: Australia 9-2, (Mooney 4, McGrath 1) And breathe. The camera pans to Alyssa Healy in the dugout sporting a nervous smile. A single each to Mooney and McGrath off Renuka.
HANG IT IN THE LOUVRE! 🤌
— Lavanya 🎙️🎥👩🏻💻 (@lav_narayanan) December 21, 2023
Pooja Vastrakar and the art of devastation #INDvAUS | #WomensCricket pic.twitter.com/eWleB8m3RX
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WICKET! Ellyse Perry b Vastrakar 4 (Australia 7-2)
STREWTH! Perry’s timbers are splattered by a vicious in-ducker from Vastrakar! India are off to a flier! That was a good ball to get early in the innings, a slightly tentative forward defence from Australia’s lynchpin and the ball zipped through the gap between bat and pad. Tahlia McGrath is the new batter, I haven’t managed a slurp of coffee yet – can everyone stop getting out!
2nd over: Australia 7-2, Mooney 3, McGrath 0)
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1st over: Australia 2-1, (Mooney 2, Perry 0) What a start for India! They are cock-a-hoop in Mumbai. Ellyse Perry is the new batter as Beth Mooney stares up to the skies, she can’t believe what she’s done there, all that time in the match and a split second of indecision over a non-existent single has cost her partner big time. Litchfield trudges off crestfallen.
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WICKET! Phoebe Litchfield is run out in the first over! (Australia 2-1)
Gone for a diamond duck without facing a ball! Mooney poked into the off side and stuttered mid-pitch, I think she’s barbecued her partner there!
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Here we go, Phoebe Litchfield and Beth Mooney take guard. Renuka Singh has the new red ball in her mitts – PLAY!
My tv has just cranked into life with live pictures from Mumbai. It looks sunny and hot at the Wankhede. It’s dark and twinkly here in south London, I’m on the sofa at the side of the Christmas tree and all is quiet, the distant trills of my toddler snore-breathing waft down the hallway. It’s 4am – let’s hope she stays in the land of nod for this first session.
The players are emerging onto the pitch for the anthems. The pitch is butterscotch in colour and covered in crazy paving cracks that should open up and be conducive to turn as the match progresses. It should be a belter to bat on first up, Australia will be looking to make a decent total and put some pressure on India. Time to make a quick pre-dawn coffee, back in a tickle of Kenco for the start of the action!
Say hello 👋 to #TeamIndia's newest Test debutant - Richa Ghosh! ☺️
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 21, 2023
A moment to celebrate for the youngster & her family as she receives her Test cap from vice-captain @mandhana_smriti 👏 👏
Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/8qTsM8XSpd #INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/Hc7q76XSkj
Teams: A debutant apiece!
Australia: Beth Mooney, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath, Alyssa Healy (c, wk), Annabel Sutherland, Ash Gardner, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Kim Garth, Lauren Cheatle
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh
Pace bowler Darcie Brown is rested for the visitors as Left-arm quick Lauren Cheatle is selected to make her Test debut.
Wicketkeeper/batter Richa Ghosh is also a Test debutant for India.
Baggy Green no. 184 is yours forever, Cheats 💚
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) December 21, 2023
Go well out there! #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/J4QzB0wGj1
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Australia win the toss and will bat first!
Alyssa Healy calls the coin correctly in her first official outing as Captain and she decides to have first use of the Wankhede pitch.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to a slice of modern cricketing history. Despite all of the progress across the women’s game over the last few years, Test matches are still largely rarer than hen’s dentures. This game at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai is a case in point - it has been nigh on 40 years since India hosted Australia in a women’s Test match on home soil, a time long before any of the players in the current squads were born.
That four Test series way back in 1984 (nineteeneightyfourrrr) ended in a stalemate and the two nations last duked it out in the longest format in Carrara in 2021, a day/night Test with a pink ball that also ended in a draw.
And yet, despite what I’ve just typed, Harmanpreet’s India face the challenge of playing the mighty Australia under a new leader – Meg Lanning has handed the gilded reins to Alyssa Healy - just four days after completing a Test match on home soil against England.
The Test against England was a thumping victory for the home side but this contest promises to be a whole lot tighter. Healy is looking to start a new era of dominance across formats for the green and gold and gave a perky press conference a day out from the start of the match that showed no signs of nerves whilst paying homage to her predecessor:
They are unbelievably huge shoes to fill in replacing Meg Lanning, the success she had as not only a player but as a leader of the Australian cricket team is fairly unmatched right around the men’s and women’s game. Big shoes to fill on my part but one that’s really exciting to me. Bring it on, India is a big challenge!”
India have the advantage of home conditions but Australia are no slouches in the spin department with the likes of Ash Gardner, Jess Jonassen and Alana King at their disposal. The match offers up an intriguing battle between two gun sides tussling for a rare (and standalone) red ball gong ahead of the six white ball matches that make up the multi-format aspect of the tour to come over the coming weeks.
I’m here with you for the first half of the day before Tanya swoops in to guide you home later. Play gets underway at 9.30am local time which is an eyebag inducing 4am (!) here in London. I’ll be back shortly, likely jacked up on caffeine, to bring you news of the teams and the toss.
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