Australia’s second-innings fightback has ensured all four results are still possible heading into the final day of the lone Test against India in Mumbai.
After trailing by 187 runs in the first innings, the determined Australians patiently survived 90 overs at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, finishing at 5-233 at stumps with a slim 46-run lead.
Vice-captain Tahlia McGrath led the charge with a career-best 73, combining with fellow all-rounder Ellyse Perry for an 84-run partnership for the third wicket. The South Australian, having cracked 50 on day one, became the first visiting cricketer to score a half-century in each innings of a women’s Test in India.
MATCH CENTRE: India vs Australia women’s Test scorecard
“She’s had a pretty great Test match,” Perry, who scored 45, told reporters at stumps on day three.
“Tahlia’s approach is always attacking, she plays a lot of great shots, she’s a stroke maker.
“But today she just looked really tight. I think in amongst some of those really great drives, she was fantastically solid on defence.
“This has been a really important Test match for her in terms of her contribution to the team.”
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After the hosts were bowled out for 406 early on day three, Australian openers Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield combined for a 49-run partnership before disaster struck in the 12th over.
Facing spinner Sneh Rana, Mooney fended a full delivery towards debutant Richa Ghosh at silly point, with the Indians half-heartedly appealing for LBW. Perhaps distracted by the appeal, the left-hander wandered out of her crease, allowing Ghosh to throw down the stumps for a bizarre run-out.
“Completely unaware of where the ball’s gone,” former Indian cricketer Rohan Gavaskar said in commentary.
“Went for a walkabout … extremely casual.”
Mooney departed for 33 following the brain fade, with Litchfield following her back to the sheds a couple of overs later after botching a reverse sweep against Rana, bowled for 18.
Perry and McGrath set about rebuilding the innings before captain Alyssa Healy joined her deputy at the crease, with the duo contributing 66 runs for the third wicket. However, Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur brought herself into the attack in the evening session, removing both McGrath and Healy to guarantee India remained heavy favourites heading into day four.
After surviving a marginal LBW chance against Kaur during her first over, McGrath fended at a wide delivery and edged the ball back into her stumps.
Tensions flared between the two captains a few overs later when Kaur threw the ball in Healy’s direction at the striker’s end, with the Australian skipper deflecting it with her bat towards the boundary. Kaur appealed for obstructing the field, but the umpires ignored her pleas and awarded Healy four runs.
The Indian captain had the last laugh however, trapping Healy on the pads the following delivery for 32, wasting a review before trudging off the ground.
All-rounders Annabel Sutherland (12*) and Ash Gardner (7*) are unbeaten overnight, with the Australians needing nothing less than a Christmas Eve miracle to avoid suffering their first defeat against India in women’s Tests.
“We’ve just grown into this Test match a little bit and adjusted to the conditions as we’ve gone,” Perry continued.
“Today, I think there was a really clear plan there – obviously with the position of the game, it was just for us to bat for as long as we possibly could, and just to play what was in front of us without too much of a mind on what’s going to happen down the track.
“I think having that focus on the present was really helpful for all of us and I thought there were some really good patches and partnerships from us.
“As individual batters within our group, we all play a little bit differently so all of us have a slightly different method, but the big message today was just to be really strong in our conviction to those methods.”
Day four of the lone Test between India and Australia gets underway at 3pm AEDT.
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