India take four Australian wickets but draw looms at Carrara

The Women’s Test match between Australia and India at the Carrara Oval finally had a full day of cricket. India declared on 377/8 before picking up four wickets. Australia ended the day on 143/4, still 234 behind. They need another 85 to save the follow on.

Deepti Sharma (66) and Taniya Bhatia (22) started with India’s total on 276/6. They took time to settle, and the first 8 overs produced just 11 runs. Bhatia finally hit two fours in the 111th, off Ashleigh Gardner. Sharma followed to take India past 300 for the first time against Australia in Australia.

Bhatia became Stella Campbell’s first Test wicket when she nicked an outgoing delivery. Pooja Vastrakar helped Sharma add 40 for the seventh wicket to take India past 350. They batted together for more than 16 overs as Sharma reached her second fifty in as many Test matches.

Ellyse Perry returned to pick up Vastrakar, caught expertly by Beth Mooney at slip. The wicket marked the end of the session, with India on 359/7.

India looked for quick runs after tea and Sharma hit consecutive boundaries off Campbell. She was declared leg before in the same over to one that seemed to have pitched way outside the leg stump. India’s opening bowlers Jhulan Goswami and Meghna Singh slogged around before Mithali Raj declared on 377/8.

Mooney and Alyssa Healy started cautiously, but Goswami kept getting some swing off the pink ball. She eventually bowled Mooney to provide India the first breakthrough. Healy and Meg Lanning then added 49 for the second wicket, but the experienced Goswami kept bowling in the channel outside off, and finally lured Healy to nick one to Bhatia for 29.

Vastrakar provided the next two blows. She got the massive wicket of Lanning, albeit leg before off an inside edge. She also broke the next partnership when Tahlia McGrath’s square-cut went to Smriti Mandhana at point. Perry (27*) and Gardner (13*) then batted for more than 10 overs to take Australia to 143/4 at stumps on Day 3.

Brief scores: India Women 377/8 decl. (Smriti Mandhana 127; Sophie Molineux 2-45) lead Australia Women 143/4 (Meg Lanning 38; Jhulan Goswami 2-27) by 234 runs.