A tenacious effort by the India A women in their second innings didn't bear much fruit as they lost the only unofficial Test against Australia A by 45 runs on Sunday, August 25.
Chasing a stiff total of 289 to win in the second innings, India A needed to knock off 140 more on Sunday with four wickets in hand. The task was always going to be arduous and that's how it eventually unfolded.
Wicketkeeper-batter Uma Chetry was the first to perish for India A on Sunday but not before she stitched a 79-run stand alongside Raghvi Bisht for the seventh wicket. Tess Flintoff got the prized scalp of Chetry and got her caught at the hands of Emma de Broughe.
The loss of her partner had a detrimental effect on her concentration of Raghvi as she also fell to Flintoff two balls later. Flintoff's double whammy ended India A's hopes of getting close to the target and winning the match.
Mannat Kashyap was the third wicket to fall on Sunday as Maitlan Brown came back into the attack to get her caught at the hands of Lilly Mills. With nine down for 219, India A were staring down the barrel and that's when Sayali Satghare decided to frustrate the Aussies in the field and made them toil hard for the remaining wicket.
Sayali struck a couple of boundaries and hammered a six to take the attack to the hosts but ultimately perished when she lobbed a caught and bowled opportunity towards Charli Knott and the latter gleefully accepted.
Sayali added 24 runs alongside leg-spinner Priya Mishra for the final wicket and brought India A closer to the total but couldn't get the job done.
Charli Knott was the pick of all the Australia A bowlers as she claimed a three-wicket haul while conceding 34 runs in her 17.5 overs. Flintoff also bagged a three-for and gave away 39 runs in the process. These two were well supported by Grace Parsons who picked up two wickets herself.
