New Delhi: The Indian women’s cricket team, continued their dominant run in test matches, as after registering the biggest win in women’s test cricket history against the English women’s team, the women in blue have now registered their first-ever test match win against the Aussies.
Interestingly, the Indian women’s team have managed to register both these achievements, in the span of just seven days.
Notably, India has played a total of 11 test matches against Australia, in which they have lost four, drawn six, and emerged victorious only one time, i.e., on Sunday.
First test win against Australia
Consecutive test wins against England and Australia
Well played girls.pic.twitter.com/SOdkPN1bti
— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) December 24, 2023
Indian women’s team and Australian women’s team will now face each other in three ODIs and three T20Is series next.
As it happened
Earlier, Aussie skipper Alyssa Healy won the toss and decided to bat first.
The Aussies had a disastrous start in the first innings as they lost their first two wickets very cheaply, with only seven runs on board.
𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦!
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
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 21, 2023
Beth Mooney (40) and Thalia McGrath (50), led the resistance and added 80 runs for the third wicket, before skipper Alyssa Healy (38) and Kim Garth (28*), played some fighting knocks to take the total to 219, in their first innings.
𝗜. 𝗖. 𝗬. 𝗠. 𝗜!
A fine catch running backwards, ft. @mandhana_smriti! 👏 👏
Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/8qTsM8XSpd #TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/pFKt3VfAMn
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 21, 2023
Pooja Vastrakar took four, while Sneh Rana took three wickets to dismantle the Aussie innings. Deepti Sharma also added two wickets under her name.
In reply, India enjoyed a strong first inning as, Shafali Verma (40) and Smriti Mandhana (74), set the stage on fire before Richa Ghosh (52), Jemimah Rodrigues (73), Deepti Sharma (78) and Pooja Vastrakar (47), gave the finishing touches to take the teams total to 406, giving the women in blue a huge lead of 187 runs, in the first innings.
A fine fifty for @mandhana_smriti 👍 👍
A solid appreciation from the teammates 👏 👏
Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/8qTsM8XSpd #TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/CRYBXZx7Jm
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 22, 2023
Ashleigh Gardner was the most successful Aussie bowler in the first innings, with four wickets under her belt.
Australia performed much better in the second innings as Beth Mooney (33) and Phoebe Litchfield (18), added 49 runs for the first wicket, hinting that the Aussies are going down without a fight.
𝙍𝙐𝙉-𝙊𝙐𝙏! 🎯
How about that for game awareness 👌 👌
That was brilliant from Richa Ghosh 🙌 🙌
Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/8qTsM8XSpd #TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | @13richaghosh | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/c3O3O249DA
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 23, 2023
Ellyse Perry (45) and Tahlia McGrath (73), then led the Aussie resistance further, before Alyssa Healy (32) and Annabel Sutherland (27), took it further.
𝗔𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀! ⚡️ ⚡️
Talk about captain leading from the front & in some style! 👏 👏
Relive that wicket from @ImHarmanpreet 🎥 🔽
Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/8qTsM8XSpd #TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/aAlHtLoxVF
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 23, 2023
However, India made a comeback by picking quick wickets towards the end to dismiss the Aussie innings on 261, with only 74-run lead in the bank.
Sneh Rana was the most successful Indian bowler in the second innings, with four wickets under her belt. Rajeshwari Gaikwad and Harmanpreet Kaur, took two wickets each, while Pooja Vastrakar took one wicket.
Indian women’s team’s start, while chasing a small total of 75, was not ideal as they lost Shafali Verma (4), in the very first over.
Afterwards, Smriti Mandhana (38*), first with Richa Ghosh (13) and then with Jemimah Rodrigues (12*), stitched two important partnerships to take India over the line, with eight wickets in hand, to register their first-ever test match win against the mighty Aussies.
5⃣0⃣ up for #TeamIndia in the second innings!
The partnership between Vice-Captain Smriti Mandhana & Richa Ghosh also inching closer to fifty 👌👌
Just 24 runs away now from victory 👏👏
Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/8qTsM8XSpd#INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/XRW4R6r4XZ
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 24, 2023
For Australia, Kim Garth and Ashleigh Gardner took one wicket each in the second innings.