The television cameras have gone, time for us to disappear too. An intriguing day at the Wankhede, with the pendulum swinging from India to Australia and then hugely to India again with that vital unbeaten eighth-wicket partnership of 102 between Deepti and Vastrakar.
After Ghosh and Rodrigues put on 113, Australia fought back solidly in the afternoon as India lost their middle order in a flurry of wickets - four for 14. But try as they might, they just couldn’t wheedle out Deepti and Vastrakar. Immense bowling from Gardner, 41 overs, 4-100.
Thanks for the sudden lovely surprise flurry of emails at the end, with a last one for the road. Hello Sayonton! ”Can we assume Deepti and Pooja are Stokes ( as Indian coach Amol Mazumder suggested) and Woakes of Indian cricket. Perennially frustrating the Aussies.” They certainly did a very good job of that today.
Jim and I will be back tomorrow – until then, have a lovely day, wherever you are.
Updated
Richa Ghosh is interviewed – she’s beaming! Apologies again for not being able to translate. Happy lady.
“Hi Tanya, Ish here from Mumbai.” Hello Ish! “Not at the stadium as I’m stuck in office, but very happy to see the Indian lower order chugging along! You think the test will go on till day 4?” I reckon so, India chug on for an hour tomorrow and then Australia (just about) bat out the day?
Stumps: India 376-7 lead Australia by 157 runs
119th over: India 376-7 (Deepti 70, Vastrakar 33) Jonassen wheels through her 18th over, just a couple of singles from it and that’s your lot! Harmanpreet grins broadly, the players shake hands and a weary Australia follow Deepti and Vastrakar off the field.
And a sudden avalanche of emails. Hello Michael Duggan!
“Just to reassure you there are some of us reading your every word.
“As a Brit, no skin in the game as such but for some reason I would rather India win as they beat England and if Australia win it will make England look worse. Not rational I know but…”
Updated
118th over: India 374-7 (Deepti 69, Vastrakar 32)A dab past point for a couple brings up the 100-run partnership off 232 balls – Deepti and Vastrakar touch gloves and hug, from beyond the boundary their teammates roar in approval.
117th over: India 372-7 (Deepti 67, Vastrakar 32) A end of day maiden from Jonassen.
At last, an email – with just minutes to go. Lovely to hear from you Swami! “Thanks for the coverage, Tanya! Just an India fan enjoying the commitment to disciplined batting shown by these women.” I agree, they’ve been superb – it would have been so easy to collapse in a heap with the lead negligible – now it looks match-winning.
swami
116th over: India 372-7 (Deepti 67, Vastrakar 32) Vastrakar content to just dab Gardner away. One from the over, and she regains the strike with three overs remaining. The umpire is brought a light meter and he has a word with Healy.
115th over: India 371-7 (Deepti 67, Vastrakar 31) Harmanpreet leans on the window of the dressing-room, willing them, willing them, to stick it out to the close. The current partnership is 97 crucial runs. Jonassen’s last ball falls out of her hands as she’s mid-delivery.
Updated
India lead by 150
114th over: India 369-7 (Deepti 66, Vastrakar 30) Another skip and slap, Deepti flays King with the turn over short midwicket for four. Sweeps for a single, and the commentators say how effective the Indians have been with the sweep today. Please disreagard my earlier comments. Five overs left today. The lead builds to 150.
Updated
113th over: India 364-7 (Deepti 61, Vastrakar 30)Just one from Jonassen. Is there anyone out there?
112th over: India 363-7 (Deepti 60, Vastrakar 30) Deepti quicksteps down the pitch, and wellies King over mid-on for four. Unexpected but incredibly effective. The dog returns to her place on the sofa after her walk, both smelly and affectionate.
111th over: India 358-7 (Deepti 55, Vastrakar 30) Fairly easy singles off Jonassen. The lead 139.
Deepti is also only the second woman to score fifty or more in each of her first four Tests. The first? Denise Emerson.
Updated
Fifty for Deepti Sharma!
110th over: India 355-7 (Deepti 53, Vastrakar 29) Deepti plonks her front foot and swings King for four. Her second fifty in successive Tests, not to mention the pancake stack of wickets. She grins, covered in red soil from chest to ankle, and is warmly applauded by her teammates on the sidelines.
109th over: India 348-7 (Deepti 48, Vastrakar 27) A sprightly two from Jonassen’s over.
108th over: India 346-7 (Deepti 47, Vastrakar 26) A single from an over-pitched ball by King, a white towel tucked into the waistband of her whites. Just one from the over, as the crowd munch their popcorn. This is not Jon-ball, but it may well be more effective – read Raf for more details:
107th over: India 345-7 (Deepti 47, Vastrakar 25) Dot to dot, another maiden for Australia, this time from Jonassen. India content to slowly accumulate – the lead 126.
106th over: India 345-7 (Deepti 47, Vastrakar 25) Big turn from King, one flies off the pitch, rips past the outside edge of Vastrakar’s outside edge and into the pocket of slip. A maiden.
105th over: India 345-7 (Deepti 47, Vastrakar 25) The left arm of Jonassen replaces Gardner. Deepti sweeps uppishly, but no chance for the chasing King, and the ball tumbles over the rope.
104th over: India 341-7 (Deepti 43, Vastrakar 25) Some magic from King: turn and bounce. Too good for Vastrakar, who can’t get get a handle on it.
103rd over: India 339-7 (Deepti 42, Vastrakar 25) A full toss from Gardner, Deepti’s eyes light up and she swivel-pulls it down to the third man boundary.
102nd over: India 335-7 (Deepti 38, Vastrakar 25) Another bowling change, it is Alana King and her flyaway right foot. A big appeal for lbw but it was going down leg. Then a beauty that flummoxes Vastrakar, ripping off the surface, past the outside edge.
101st over: India 334-7 (Deepti 37, Vastrakar 25) Vastrakar dispatches one from Gardner on the pads behind square for four. Is beaten by one that passes the outside edge.
100th over: India 330-7 (Deepti 37, Vastrakar 21) Deepti leans back, all balance and angles and eases the ball through point for four. Sutherland winkles her nose in disgust. Three dots then Sutherland is forced to pull out of her run up as Deepti gets something in her eye. Interesting chat on comms, that apparently on red soil your spinners don’t have to bowl so fast. Time for DRINKS!
99th over: India 326-7 (Deepti 33, Vastrakar 21) Gardner, with a bounce and a flick. Just singles, but they all count.
98th over: India 323-7 (Deepti 31, Vastrakar 20) Another maiden, this time for Sutherland. This partnership has now lasted 20 overs and cost 49 runs.
Updated
97th over: India 323-7 (Deepti 31, Vastrakar 20) After brief experimentation, Healy returns to Gardner. Into her 36th over. A terrible ball outside the leg side is swept fine for four by Deepti. Five dots.
Updated
India lead by 100 runs
96th over: India 319-7 (Deepti 27, Vastrakar 20) Singles knocked hither and thither, as the lead builds to a hundre. ! Deepti now has a filthy shirt after diving full length into the red dirt to regain her ground, the physio comes on to bandage up her scraped elbow.
95th over: India 314-7 (Deepti 24, Vastrakar 18) Deepti angles the bat and sends Garth’s first ball flying through the yawning gap between second and fourth slip. A handful more singles, to make it seven from the over. Do drop me a line, to say hi. My caffeine hit is starting to wear off.
Updated
94th over: India 307-7 (Deepti 18, Vastrakar 17) Deepti pushes two through the covers, well stopped on the rope by King. And Vastrakar tickles four off the hip down to the fine leg boundary.
93rd over: India 300-7 (Deepti 15, Vastrakar 13) Garth for Jonassen. Vastrakar content to just play her back. A quiet period of play this – will the Aussies knock over the last three, or can India stretch the lead past 120?
92nd over: India 300-7 (Deepti 15, Vastrakar 13) Cheatle again, pony tail swinging from side to side. Vastrakar brings up the India 300 with a dab to deep backward square leg, to enthusiastic applause from a female-heavy crowd.
91st over: India 299-7 (Deepti 15, Vastrakar 12) Jonassen replaces Gardner after that expensive over, Healy pushes and pulls her fielders into position. Jonassen bowls full, four singles from it.
90th over: India 295-7 (Deepti 13, Vastrakar 10) No nice looseners from Cheatle, just the single to Deepti.
89th over: India 294-7 (Deepti 12, Vastrakar 10) At last, the new ball! And Ash Gardner takes it. The very first delivery is driven by Deepti, past a ducking silly mid off to the boundary – flies off the bat. And four more, this time from Vastrakar, driven with panache through extra cover. The lead creeps up to 75.
Updated
88th over: India 285-7 (Deepti 7, Vastrakar 6) New ball still firmly in pocket. Cheatle again. Deepti picks up a single to whoops from the echoing stadium, Vastrakar takes one too.
87th over: India 283-7 (Deepti 6, Vastrakar 5) We know how Deepti likes to have a swing, but she carefully plays out another maiden from Gardner.
86th over: India 283-7 (Deepti 6, Vastrakar 5) Australia stick with the old ball, but Healy calls over Cheatle. Faded white warpaint across her cheekbones, she zips in, left arm over. A maiden.
85th over: India 283-7 (Deepti 6, Vastrakar 5) Deepti plays out another Gardner maiden.
84th over: India 283-7 (Deepti 6, Vastrakar 5) In the kitchen, my husband is compiling a list of his friends’ top five Christmas songs for a Guess Who quiz later. Current offerings include: Stay, East 17; Fairytale of New York, The Pogues, 7 o’clock news, Simon and Garfunkel. I’ll toss Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin Stevens into the mix. And Wombling Merry Christmas. Just a single from the over.
83rd over: India 282-7 (Deepti 5, Vastrakar 5) Vastrakar has the misfortune to face a fizzing Gardner. Not totally convincing, props forwards, pops an inside edge into the air, tentative – and then, ah, a huge four pancaked to the legside boundary.
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Evening session
82nd over: India 277-7 (Deepti 5, Vastrakar 1) On stroll the Aussies, followed shortly afterwards by Deepti and Vastrakar at an overcast Mumbai, air pollution levels currently “unhealthy” on the Live AQI Index. The PM2.5 concentration currently 21.4 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value. In sprints McGrath – the ball still old. Just a single and a leg bye from it.
Ash Gardner is the first Australian women's spinner to take three consecutive hauls of 4 wickets or more in Test cricket since Betty Wilson in 1958.#INDvAUS https://t.co/2h8cQ51aqn
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) December 22, 2023
Tea: India 276-7, lead Australia by 57 runs
81st over: India 276-7 (Deepti 4, Vastrakar 1) The Aussies continue with the old favourite for now, it has been behaving very nicely for them over the last hour. Gardner fizzes through an over, just one off it, before grabbing her sunglasses and leading Australia off the field. Four wickets in the session – and the flow very much with Australia. Time for me grab a coffee – back shortly.
80th over: India 275-7 (Deepti 3, Vastrakar 1) McGrath, suncream smeared across her nose, bustles in, on the brink of tea. A maiden. Will Australia take the new ball?
79th over: India 275-7 (Deepti 3, Vastrakar 1) A fourth wicket for the excellent, tireless Gardner. The end of a gorgeous innings from Jemimah – a very full ball that she couldn’t control.
WICKET! Jemimah c Sutherland b Gardner 73 (India 274-7)
Drives, on bended knee, elegantly, but uppishly, and Sutherland is waiting in the covers. Jemimah drops her head in frustration.
78th over: India 273-6 (Jemimah Rodrigues 73, Deepti 2) Gorgeous from Jemimah, angled away over short mid-wicket for four.
77th over: India 269-6 (Jemimah Rodrigues 69, Deepti 2) Jemimah attempts two sweeps and misses both off Gardner – convinced the sweep is not a great idea on this pitch. That being said, Jemimah has two fifties in two Tests, and I …don’t.
76th over: India 268-6 (Jemimah Rodrigues 68, Deepti 2) A bowling change as McGrath comes on for Garth. No sweeties for the Indians. McGrath’s last ball jumps up and raps Deepti on the finger. Magic spray comes out.
75th over: India 268-6 (Jemimah Rodrigues 68, Deepti 2) The clever wonks on the television have worked out that the bounce is 10cm lower at the Wankhede than at the DV Patil stadium for the England Test. But not every ball. QED, batting is more tricky here and you don’t want to have to chase too many in the fourth innings. One off Gardner’s over.
74th over: India 267-6 (Jemimah Rodrigues 68, Deepti 1) Daybreak is creeping into Manchester, wearing a dull grey cloak. It’s 31 degrees currently in Mumbai and Garth looks hot as she rustles in. A couple of singles.
73rd over: India 265-6 (Jemimah Rodrigues 67, Deepti 0) Apologies to India, whom I seem to have cursed since I took over from Jim at drinks – they’ve lost three for five in less than three overs. The lead still only 46.
Updated
WICKET! Yastika lbw Gardner 1 (India 265-6)
An ill advised sweep, inelegant, hit on the back pad half way up the thigh. Given out on the field, Yastika reviews, but it would have hit low on the off stump.
Updated
72nd over: India 264-5 (Jemimah Rodrigues 66, Yastika 1) Off the field, Harmanpreet stares through a glass darkly, with folded arms. Garth, whose radar was a bit off at the start of the innings, is all bustle and on point this time around.
71st over: India 263-5 (Jemimah Rodrigues 65, Yastika 1) Gardner reels into her 26th over, huge breakthrough – Australia have turned it around since drinks. Do drop me a line this December 22, send the OBO your best mince pie, summer cocktail tips.
WICKET! Harmanpreet lbw Gardner 0 (India 261-5)
Wickets a go go! Harmanpreet pushes forward, misses, and is hit just above the ankle on the front pad. Given out on the field, and DRS shows umpire’s call. Gardner roars in delight and Harmanpreet shuffles away.
70th over: India 260-4 (Rodrigues 63, Harmanpreet 0) A wicket from nowhere! Though Ghosh nearly fell earlier in the over when she spooned the ball to mid-on but Perry seemed to lose it in the air and it fell safely to ground. The lead 42, India will want nearly 200 I reckon, as they have to bat second on this pitch.
69th over: India 258-3 (Ghosh 50, Rodrigues 63) Great work Jim, wishing you and the toddler relaxing times under those warm white Christmas tree lights (she’d still be asleep if they were coloured). Australia’s goose being lathered with butter and generously seasoned here, as Jemimah Rodrigues eyes up Jonassen and powers for six, before divining her through covers for four next ball.
68th over: India 247-3 (Ghosh 50, Rodrigues 53) The lesser spotted Kim Garth returns to the fold for her fifth over of the innings. A huge appeal and review to a ball that looks to my mind like it is sliding way down the leg side. I have been awake since 3am though so it could well be plumb… nope, Australia burn a review with a bit of a desperate punt on that one, wouldn’t have hit another set.
Fifty to Richa Ghosh on debut! What a moment for the youngster, a scampered single to mid off sees her to the half ton. Her team celebrate keenly and Jemimah gives her a mid pitch hug.
Time for a drink and for me to skulk off. Tanya Aldred is settling into the OBO armchair to take you through the rest of the day. Goodbye!
Updated
67th over: India 247-3 (Ghosh 49, Rodrigues 53) Jonassen replaces Gardner. India looking to score off nearly every ball now. A clip to midwicket brings up the 100 partnership for this pair. They’ve snuffed the life out of Australia in the last two hours with excellent strokeplay and proactive defence.
66th over: India 245-3 (Ghosh 48, Rodrigues 52) King drops short and is smashed away by Jemimah. Australia looking very weary all of a sudden. And again! That’s FIFTY for Jemimah Rodrigues, a second in Test match cricket in just her third knock. This has been a sparkling effort.
Back-to-back fifties 🌟
— Women’s CricZone (@WomensCricZone) December 22, 2023
Jemimah Rodrigues has taken to Test cricket like a duck to water. Second fifty in her 3rd innings.#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/6UzkkY0lRS
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65th over: India 234-3 (Ghosh 46, Rodrigues 43) The indefatigable Ash Gardner continues. Ah, that might make her a bit more erm fatiguable… a decent ball on the stumps is swept away with surgical precision to bisect the fielders on the leg side. Jemimah and Ghosh’s partnership is up to 87 runs. Wounding for Australia.
64th over: India 230-3 (Ghosh 46, Rodrigues 39) Full toss from Alana King - who comes on to replace McGrath – Ghosh doesn’t miss out and finds the boundary at long on. Close! Nice reply from King who fizzes a leg break past the edge of both bat and stumps, just missing both by the width of a caterpillar’s eyebrow.
63rd over: India 223-3 (Ghosh 40, Rodrigues 38) Ghosh goes past Rodrigues in the runs with a fine cover drive for four. Smidge too full from Gardner and on it in a flash. India now lead on first innings, every run from now will hurt that little bit more for the visitors.
62nd over: India 218-3 (Ghosh 36, Rodrigues 37) Tahlia McGrath hustles in, thick block of zinc smudged across face which sort of reminds me of when REM’s Michael Stipe used to get the Farrow&Ball out.
Everbody Hurts Tahlia, A short ball is cut away for four by Ghosh.
61st over: India 213-3 (Ghosh 32, Rodrigues 36) Gardner. Rodrigues. Sweep. Single.
In a quiet moment… have we all seen this? Thoughts? Storm in a gatorade bottle or pig-headedly daft from Tom Curran? I’m inclined towards the latter.
60th over: India 212-3 (Ghosh 32, Rodrigues 35) Four dots from McGrath. Make that five. The maiden is elusive though as Jemimah flicks off the hip from the last to tick the scoreboard over and keep strike for the next.
59th over: India 211-3 (Ghosh 32, Rodrigues 34) A sweep straight off middle stump from Jemimah elicits a loud groan from Ash Gardner. Don’t miss those! Ghosh is looking to be a bit more attacking of late – she throws her hands at a length ball and squirts it away behind square for a couple.
58th over: India 208-3 (Ghosh 30, Rodrigues 33) McGrath looks slightly innocuous, Ghosh decides she’s ripe for blitzing down the ground but the batter doesn’t time it and has to settle for a couple. The deficit drops to just eleven runs. Eleven.
Updated
57th over: India 205-3 (Ghosh 28, Rodrigues 32) Just a single, a Jemimah Rodrigues sweep shot. Christmas tree lights (warm white, sorry Tanya!) twinkle as there’s a whiff of dawn starting to break here in south London.
56th over: India 204-3 (Ghosh 28, Rodrigues 31) Alert and nimble running from Rodrigues who has been a bundle of energy since arriving at the crease. Three more added as India chip away and then look to build a first innings lead. They’ll likely have to bat last on this surface and it is already starting to shoot up and down a little.
55th over: India 201-3 (Ghosh 28, Rodrigues 28) Gardner again. Into her twentieth over. She’s been the mainstay around which the other bowlers have rotated. Australia have used eight bowlers now in the innings, only Healy herself, Phoebe Litchfield and Beth Mooney haven’t turned their arm over. A maiden.
54th over: India 201-3 (Ghosh 28, Rodrigues 28) Tahlia McGrath is given the nod by Alyssa Healy. Urgh. She starts with a full bunger that is bunted away through square leg for four by Jemimah. Healy comes up to the stumps, McGrath find her length and a little movement off the seam to close the over with three dots.
53rd over: India 197-3 (Ghosh 28, Rodrigues 24) Gardner into her 19th over of the innings, five dots are spoilt by Ghosh opening the face to the sixth delivery and running the ball away fine for four.
The players are emerging in Mumbai, Ash Gardner is going to start off with the ball.
Updated
Lunchtime reading:
Lunch - India 193-3, trail Australia by 26 runs on first innings
52nd over: India 193-3 (Ghosh 24, Rodrigues 24) Jemimah cuts Jonassen to point for a couple and that’s the last action of the morning.
India have added 95 runs for the loss of two wickets. Gardner bowling the resolute Rana and Mandhana gifting her wicket away with a poor bit of cricket after looking regal for her 74. The home side are still calling all the shots at lunch on day two. A dollar for Ellyse Perry’s thoughts right now after she dropped the simplest of all chances to remove Ghosh twenty minutes before lunch.
I’m away for a wee while to palm off the toddler and seek out some caffeine. Back soon for the afternoon session.
Australia get the wicket of Smriti Mandhana, but India are still firmly in control#INDvAUS #RecordBreakingSalaar #Ugramm #Smritimandhana pic.twitter.com/6BSNXwMp7c
— Jarp Media (@Jarpindia) December 22, 2023
51st over: India 191-3 (Ghosh 24, Rodrigues 22) Ghosh is covered head to toe in red earth after that sprawling dive. A handy/annoying (depending on your allegiance – I’m neutral of course) partnership building here for India.
50th over: India 188-3 (Ghosh 23, Rodrigues 20) Nearly the second run out of the morning! Jemimah calls Ghosh through after nudging to midwicket but Alana King is swooping in and fizzing a throw off towards the stumps… Ghosh was gone with a direct hit. Unlike Mandhana, she puts in a full length dive but it wouldn’t have saved her.
49th over: India 184-3 (Ghosh 22, Rodrigues 17) King sends down a lovely looping leggie that catches Jemimah’s splice and balloons up… to the vacant silly mid off. Frustration creeping in for Australia.
48th over: India 182-3 (Ghosh 21, Rodrigues 16) Jonassen is unerringly accurate and whistles through her overs. Just a single off it. We’ve got about ten mins til lunch.
47th over: India 181-3 (Ghosh 21, Rodrigues 15) Alana King replaces Gardner, Ghosh is watchful before unfurling a sweep into the vacant leg side for four. India trail by just 37 runs on first innings.
46th over: India 174-3 (Ghosh 16, Rodrigues 13) Jonassen twirls her way through a maiden, two leg byes the blots on the copybook.
45th over: India 172-3 (Ghosh 16, Rodrigues 13) Gardner continues, the drop still lingering like a bad joke at a funeral. Shot! Jemimah drives a full ball all along the baize to the cover boundary. Salt, meet wound.
44th over: India 168-3 (Ghosh 16, Rodrigues 9) Jess Jonassen replaces King. The Aussies still reeling from that Perry drop. Me too.
The toddler is still very much in the room at this end btw, a few rambunctious renditions of ‘When Santa got stuck up the chimney’ complete with volcanic ‘achooos!’ for good measure. It is 5.38 am.
43rd over: India 165-3 (Ghosh 14, Rodrigues 8) Gardner has bowled unchanged all morning… CATCH! DROPPED! Ellyse Perry has shelled a goober at mid-off. I can’t believe that, Perry can’t either. Ghosh didn’t get to the pitch and lobbed a simple catch, Perry would usually gobble that up a billion times over. Inexplicably the ball ends up on the turf.
42nd over: India 162-3 (Ghosh 13, Rodrigues 6) Alana King mixes up her speeds, flighting some and fizzing others through. Another couple of wickets from Australia this morning will an intriguing situation maketh – a second innings shoot out would be fun.
41st over: India 158-3 (Ghosh 11, Rodrigues 4) Ghosh goes on the counter, Gardner throws one wide of off stump and the debutant drops to one knee and slaps it through the vacant leg side. India trail by 61 runs.
40th over: India 153-3 (Ghosh 6, Rodrigues 4) Shot from Jemimah! She sweeps King powerfully away to the leg side sponge.
Something outta nothing! A sharp bit of fielding from Kim Garth, followed by a mix up in the middle and Smriti Mandhana is run out!
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 22, 2023
India now 3-148 trailing by 71 #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/IazgyUJeqg
Get the dive out, Smriti!
Updated
39th over: India 148-3 (Ghosh 5, Rodrigues 0) Jemimah Rodrigues joins Ghosh in the middle as Australia scent some blood in the water.
WICKET! Smriti Mandhana run out (Gardner) 74 (Australia 147-3)
Huge moment on day two! A mix up in the middle sees Mandhana stuttering through for a pinched single to backward point but she can’t make her ground at the non strikers end, her bat is on the line, and we all know who that belongs to. Australia have the big scalp!
Updated
Now then, is Smriti Mandhana run out?!
38th over: India 147-2 (Smriti 74, Ghosh 4) Lovely over from King, tossing it up with relish and landing it on a handkerchief.
37th over: India 146-2 (Smriti 73, Ghosh 4) Gardner’s threat level has risen, the ball is starting to turn more sharply off the surface. Mandhana gets a thick edge that just flies just wide of Beth Mooney in the slips. Ghosh is equal to it though, reaching a wider ball and timing away for four!
Updated
36th over: India 141-2 (Smriti 72, Ghosh 0) Tidy stuff from King, Mandhana gets a single off the first ball but Ghosh can’t work the leg spinner away to get off the mark.
35th over: India 140-2 (Smriti 71, Ghosh) Richa Ghosh, the debutant, joins Mandhana in the middle. She pats back her first ball in Test cricket. Australia are up and at ‘em now, sensing a moment to get back into this match.
WICKET! Sneh Rana b Gardner 9 (India 140-2)
Gardner gets the breakthrough! An earlier ball in the over gripped and turned quite sharply, just sewing the seeds of doubt. The ball that did for Rana was straight and a bit quicker. The batter played the wrong line. Bakerloo and Piccadilly. Bowled.
Updated
34th over: India 139-1 (Smriti 70, Rana 9) King switches her angle and comes around the wicket. Mandhana uses her feet to get to the pitch and run a single past point. A smidge more turn evident as the sun burns off the pillowy cloud in Mumbai. No such thing in south London where the sky outside my window is the colour of black treacle.
33rd over: India 138-1 (Smriti 69, Rana 9) Gardner continues, Rana gets a thick edge to a forward press and collects a couple as the ball squirts away down to third.
OMG! 2/2 from McGrath ! Misfields aa Smriti gets two boundaries!#CricketTwitter #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/Rwa2ttmymN
— Asli BCCI Women (@AsliBCCIWomen) December 22, 2023
Whoops!
32nd over: India 136-1 (Smriti 69, Rana 7) King serves up a couple of full tosses to Mandhana, the batter misses out on the first but not the second – pulling powerfully through the on side for four. The run rate starting to rise for India after a patient first 40 minutes of play.
31st over: India 131-1 (Smriti 65, Rana 6) Lighting strikes twice for Tahlia McGrath as she fumbles twice at mid off to allow a brace of boundaries to go through her. Gardner does a good job of keeping her cool and avoiding eye contact.
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29th over: India 123-1 (Smriti 57, Rana 6) There is a change, Alana King and her leggies are coming given the nod from the skipper. King bounds in, bouncy run up and lovely action, imparting plenty of revs onto the ball. Mandhana rocks back and pokes a single into the off side. Decent start for King.
28th over: India 121-1 (Smriti 56, Rana 5) Some concern etched on the faces of the Australian fielders, likely as it dawns on them that they could be in for a very long day of chasing leather. Rana nudges Gardner away for her first run of the morning. I wonder how long before we see a change from Healy, it’s been a bit flat so far for the visitors.
Updated
27th over: India 118-1 (Smriti 55, Rana 4) Shot! Mandhana leans on a full ball from Sutherland and strokes it away with Swiss clock timing through the covers for four. Gah! Sutherland tries to spear one in at the stumps but gets it all wrong, the ball sliding wide of Healy behind the stumps and away for four byes. Another front foot no ball follows, scrappy stuff from Sutherland so far this morning.
As good as it gets!
— Asli BCCI Women (@AsliBCCIWomen) December 22, 2023
Mandhanaमैजिक™️
Like a sip of tea on this cold winter morning! #CricketTwitter #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/NOrDunl03E
TickTockTickTock
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26th over: India 109-1 (Smriti 51, Rana 4) A strained shout for LBW as Sutherland scuds one into the front pad of Mandhana but it pitched way outside leg and the Aussies knew it, not troubling them upstairs. FIFTY for Smriti Mandhana! That’s her third in Test cricket and has come at a decent lick, off just 68 balls. A muted raise of the bat, she’s got her eyes set on bigger things.
5⃣0⃣ for vice-captain @mandhana_smriti - her 3⃣rd Test half-century 👏 👏!
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 22, 2023
1⃣0⃣0⃣ up for #TeamIndia! 🙌 🙌
Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/8qTsM8XSpd #INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/LTPKJfXSn3
25th over: India 107-1 (Smriti 49, Rana 4) Gardner into her groove, stitches together a tidy maiden. The toddler has donned a pair of sparkly (clompy) shoes and is pulling the decorations off the Christmas tree. I’m not distracted at all.
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24th over: India 107-1 (Smriti 49, Rana 4) Sutherland is sending down the SG ball with a lovely canted seam, the camera zooming in on it approvingly. She bustles in with two slips in place, just a couple of leg byes off the over. Quiet start this morning, on all fronts.
23rd over: India 105-1 (Smriti 49, Rana 4) Mandhana cuts Gardner for a single to go one shy of an excellent half century. Gardner keeps Rana honest with a probing over at stumps and pads.
@Jimbo_Cricket not sure if I'm ready for an era in which Australia doesn't utterly dominate women's cricket
— john maynard keynes gaming (@theloneamigo) December 22, 2023
Hoho. I wouldn’t start to worry just yet, Keynesy.
22nd over: India 104-1 (Smriti 48, Rana 4) Sutherland continues around the wicket. Mandhana opens the face and collects two by gliding through point. Sutherland is working up a decent pace here, ponytail bobbing as she runs in, but she strives a little too hard, overstepping the front line to gift India another run.
21st over: India 100-1 (Smriti 45, Rana 4) The hundred comes up for India as Mandhana collects a single to square leg. Gardner has a slip and short leg in place. She’s darting it in rather than tossing it up with too much flight.
“Do you like crocodiles, daddy. Kind ones?” My toddler is awake and sat next to me. She really shouldn’t be and she knows it. Still, might give her an over on the tools later on. Start ‘em young.
20th over: India 99-1 (Smriti 44, Rana 4) Just a single off the first over, Mandhana takes India to the precipice of a hundred with a flick into the leg side. Ash Gardner is going to start from the other end.
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The players emerge into hazy morning sunshine in Mumbai, let’s play! Annabel Sutherland is going to start with the ball. She has a resolutely determined look on her face. Eleven wickets fell yesterday, Australia need nine to fall today in something of a heap.
Vastrakar’s list of recent scalps:
Pooja Vastrakar in golden form with the ball 💪#INDvAUS #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/pyJpDiGSjH
— Cricket.com (@weRcricket) December 22, 2023
Some decent players in this lot eh?
The alarms worked! The tv coverage has just cranked into life and I’m getting there, just about. We’ll be ready to roll in ten minutes. Can Australia make some early inroads?
𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘃𝗲! 👏 👏
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 22, 2023
Hello from Wankhede Stadium 👋#TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | @mandhana_smriti | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/yOTxi2e6Uy
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to the OBO of day two between India and Australia at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. Day one firmly belonged to the hosts, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side managed to scythe through Australia’s batting card for an underwhelming 219 after Alyssa Healy had called the coin toss correctly and chosen to have first use of the wicket.
Pooja Vastrakar shone luminous with the ball, the pace bowler scudded an in-ducker through Ellyse Perry’s defences early on and managed to prise out Beth Mooney on the stroke of lunch with a brutish short ball. In the afternoon session she added to her haul by pocketing Annabel Sutherland and Ash Gardner, all this coming just a few days after snaring Heather Knight (twice) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (clean bowled a la Perry) in the Test against England.
Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma chipped away in support before Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana made it look like they were batting on a starched shirt front for most of the evening session. Verma eventually fell, pinned LBW to Jess Jonassen but not before India had taken a sizeable chunk out of the Aussie first innings.
When play resumes today - at 9.30am local time, 3.30pm AEDT and 4am (gulp) in the UK – India will trail by 121 runs and have nine wickets waiting in the hutch. Will it be a day of Indian dominance or will Australia bite back to level things up? Will I sleep through my complex system of staggered of 3am alarms? We’ll find out soon (too soon in some cases) enough.
