Only Pratika Rawal: Lucy Hamilton and Annabel Sutherland starred with the ball yet again as Australia tightened their grip on the one-off Pink-ball Test against India, as the visitors closed the second day with 105/6 in 29 overs and trail the hosts by 20 runs at the WACA Ground on Saturday.It was a day on which Annabel was once again the standout performer – she followed up her fourth Test century with two wickets in the final session to cap a dominant all-round display. Her 129 off 171 balls was a masterclass in patience and control, along with crisp stroke play and unflappable temperament.
Supported by Ellyse Perry’s composed 76, Annabel carried Australia to 323 in 90.4 overs and grabbed a 125-run lead, with India pacer Sayali Satghare picking 4-50 on debut. Just like in the first innings, Lucy made her mark again by producing a decisive spell under lights to pick 3-32, while Darcie Brown chipped in with one scalp to keep the pressure relentless.
India’s batting faltered under the weight of scoreboard pressure and disciplined bowling. Loose strokes and poor shot selection undermined their reply, with the top order unable to withstand the probing lines of Australia’s seamers. Only Pratika Rawal offered real resistance by being unbeaten on 43 at stumps, while Sneh Rana is not out on 14.
But with little support from the rest of the lineup, India remain in a precarious position, still trailing by 20 runs with only four wickets in hand. As of now, Australia are on course for a clinical victory that would mark a fitting farewell for their captain Alyssa Healy.
The final session began with Sayali having Alana King caught by cover diving to her left, before Lucy lobbed off her to give mid-wicket a simple catch, as India took only 16 balls to wrap up Australia’s first innings.
India’s second innings began on a horrendous note as Darcie Brown rattled Smriti Mandhana’s middle stump. Lucy then dismissed Shafali Verma, who edged away from her body and gave a regulation catch behind the stumps. Lucy struck again in her next spell as Jemimah Rodrigues’ mistimed scoop was caught by leg gully.
Annabel joined the wicket-taking act by claiming Harmanpreet Kaur with a sharp catch at second slip after the India captain had briefly threatened to counter-attack with a pair of boundaries. India’s middle order crumbled further as Deepti Sharma was castled through the gate by Lucy, who followed it up by having Richa Ghosh caught behind after a successful review.
That double strike reduced India to 82/6, but Pratika stood firm amid the collapse by compiling a gritty 43 not out off 84 balls with six boundaries. She found some support from Sneh, as the pair took India to safety till stumps arrived.
With Australia already in control, India face an uphill battle to avoid defeat. Their hopes rest on Pratika and Sneh to extend the fight, but Australia will be eyeing a swift finish to get a commanding victory.
In the morning, resuming from 96/3, Australia controlled the morning session as Ellyse and Annabel consolidated their overnight stand. Both raised their respective half-centuries with authority, keeping the scoreboard moving against India’s attack under searing heat.
Ellyse, who last passed fifty in July 2023, looked set for a hundred before falling lbw to Deepti Sharma on review. Her dismissal came after she crossed 1,000 career Test runs, overtaking Karen Rolton to become Australia’s leading run-scorer in the format and the first woman to achieve the double of 1,000 runs and 30 wickets in Tests.
Annabel dropped on 90 by wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh, pressed on with confidence, even as Beth Mooney was reprieved twice early in her innings – once at silly point and again in the slips. The 128-run partnership between Annabel and Ellyse ensured Australia went past India’s first-innings score of 198 and put themselves into the lead.
The second session saw India staging a fightback – Beth’s scratchy 19 ended with a chip to short extra cover, Ashleigh Gardner was bowled for one, and Smriti Mandhana pulled off a sharp catch at short leg to remove Tahlia McGrath for 13. Those strikes briefly lifted India’s hopes, but Annabel’s dominance ensured Australia’s advantage grew steadily.
She mixed crisp drives with calculated aggression and went past 700 career Test runs in the process, before reaching the three-figure mark off 133 deliveries, and became the first Australian woman to score four hundreds in the format and the first to record three tons in succession.
Annabel’s dismissal – caught at long-on by Harmanpreet off Deepti – came after she had anchored Australia’s middle order through a tricky passage. Lucy and Alana frustrated India further by stitching together a 34-run stand for the ninth wicket. Their resistance came after India quickly opted for the new ball under lights, with Kashvee Gautam and Kranti Gaud having a go first with the fresh pink ball.
But they failed to deliver the breakthroughs India needed, as Australia crossed the 300 mark and tightened their grip on the match. India’s bowlers, led by Deepti and Kranti, kept probing but were undermined by poor decision-making in reviews and their looking short of ideas in bowling under lights. The same theme would reflect in their horrid batting show, and one would hope that they show some fight to avoid the ignominy of an innings defeat.
India 198 and 105/6 in 29 overs (Pratika Rawal 43 not out, Sneh Rana 14 not out; Lucy Hamilton 3-32, Annabel Sutherland 2-15) trail Australia 323 all out in 90.4 overs (Annabel Sutherland 129, Ellyse Perry 76; Sayali Satghare 4-50, Deepti Sharma 2-67) by 20 runs
Article Source: IANS
