India vanquished the Alyssa Healy-led side by eight wickets in the one-off Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, December 24 to claim their maiden Test win over Australia. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side comfortably chased down the total of 75 in their second innings on the fourth day of the Test to attain the historic feat.
Chasing 75 to win, India lost opener Shefali Verma on just the fourth delivery of the innings but a 51-run stand for the second wicket between Richa Ghosh and Smriti Mandhana lifted them from the early stutter and brought them within touching distance of the win.
Notably, Jemimah Rodrigues (12* off 15 balls) stitched an unbeaten 20-run partnership with Smriti (38* off 61 balls) to take India home in just 18.4 overs.
India's vice-captain Smriti looked in complete control and struck six fours during her stay at the crease. Her calming presence in the middle assured the Indian dressing room that the run chase was not going to be very difficult.
Sneh Rana was awarded the Player of the Match (POTM) for her exuberant bowling display that saw her claim match figures of 7/119. Her off-spin didn't let the Aussie batters settle down at any stage of the game and she was rewarded for her probing line and length.
Rana utilised the purchase from the wicket to its fullest and strangulated the visitors in her finely threaded web.
On the other hand, the Aussies were behind the eight ball right from the beginning and never managed to get their noses in front at any stage of the entire four-day Test. After conceding a lead of 187 runs in the first innings, the Healy-led Australia needed to put up a miraculous fight back but it didn't happen.
Their batting order put up a better showing in the second innings and posted 261 runs on the board, with Tahlia McGrath outshining the rest of her teammates with the willow in hand. McGrath accumulated 73 off 177 deliveries and was also the highest scorer for the tourists in the first innings with a 56-ball 50.
The lack of penetrative depth in the Australian bowling at Wankhede cost the touring party the game as neither Alana King nor Jess Jonassen managed to support Ashleigh Gardner in the first innings and India posted a mammoth total of 406 despite being reduced to 7/274.
