The Test is over but the multi-format series is alive and there is much to play for the three-match t2-I leg starting Thursday.
After the ODI and Test (2 points each for a draw), Australia have a slender 6-4 lead. Join us for the T20Is next week.
The match ended in a draw but India was the better team for many sessions, with several standout performers. Smriti Mandhana’s century, Jhulan Goswami continuing to be a pace-bowling superstar at 38, young seamers Meghna Singh and Pooja Vastrakar supporting her with wonderful spells, Shafali Verma scoring a fifty.... And this is India who had two days of practise with the pink ball and just a bit more in playing under lights!
Two Tests for India this year, unbeaten in England and Australia with a bunch of youngsters. What a team (one that deserves to play more Test cricket!)
Meanwhile, this may be the last time we see Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami play Test cricket!
Smriti Mandhana is the Player of the Match for her first-innings century, her first in the format which set the tone for India. The opener admits to have a sleepless night after the first day’s play.
Jhulan Goswami and Ellyse Perry seen having an animated chat after the match. Wonder what they are talking about? Exchanging notes on what a terrific Test match it has been for both of them?
Jhulan Goswami in this pink-ball Test
First innings: 22-7-33-2
Second innings: 6-2-8-1
Ellyse Perry in pink-ball Tests
3 innings
282 runs scored
591 balls faced
(Overall batting ave: 86.62)
NEVER been dismissed!
That’s all folks, the historic pink-ball Test has come to an end with a draw. The captains shake hands.. On a lighter note, Meg Lanning has had enough, yeah? Heather Knight knows the feeling. India are after all unbeaten in Test cricket in England and Australia this year after two draws in, rather unfortunately rain-hit, games.
India were outstanding in their first-ever day-night Test, outplaying Australia in most sessions. Who knows how it would’ve turned out of rain hadn’t taken so many overs away.
Spin comes into the attack with Rajeshwari Gayakwad replacing Jhulan Goswami. Is that the final ball the pace legend has bowled on Australian soil? It is a fitting final spell, accurate, tidy & consistent. With the pink ball under lights.
WICKET! Beth Mooney is out on 11 off 28, Australia 29/2.
Pooja Vastrakar continues her very good match with the ball as Beth Mooney is caught out in the deep.
Next in – Ellyse Perry, she who is has never been dismissed in pink-ball Tests. She started the day batting in the first innings, scored an unbeaten fifty and is now back in the second essay. What a day of Test cricket!
Aside from the significance of the a pink-ball Test and a second four-day international match for India in a year, this Test has also given us some amazing battles within the battle. Jhulan Goswami vs Meg Lanning, underway is one such fascinating clash of GOATs.
Thoughts on Mithali Raj’s final innings in Australia?
Australia 20/1 after 6 overs: After being beaten on the angle by Vastrakar, Mooney plays a delightful cover drive for four.
Australia 16/1 after 5 overs: Jhulan tidy as ever. Time for Vastrkar from the other end.
Who knows when they will play a Test match next, but having played the longest format after 7 years in 2021 with barely any practice, India will be unbeaten after playing England and Australia away. That is quite something.
Over 2.3: WICKET! Alyssa Healy (6) b Jhulan Goswami, 8/1
Healy chops on. Jhulan Goswami strikes, her 44th Test wicket. Don’t know about a win, but she is six wickets short of 50. Too much to ask for? Second time Goswami removes Healy in this match, by the way.
Australia 7/0 after 2 overs: Whether they go for it or not (they won’t) Healy will entertain. A four to start Meghna Singh’s over, who then comes back to bowl a peach at the end of it.
Australia 1/0 after 1 over: Goswami has it on a string as ever, in the first over. Testing Mooney with the angle.
STAT: Three declarations in three innings of this Test match! And second time in their Test cricket history, India have declared both innings of a Test match (1986 Blackpool vs England)
DECLARATION: India declare on 135/3, and that will set Australia a target of 272 to chase down in about 30-odd overs. Punam Raut unbeaten on 41.
India 135/3 after 36 overs.
Punam Raut, who lost her place in the ODI team, is showing some intent! She moves into the 40s with a very good shot, coming down the track for a boundary that was almost a six off Ash Gardner’s spin.
What is up with Mithali Raj not coming in to bat in what will be her final innings on this tour of Australia? She is not part of the T20I squad so this could well be the swansong Down Under.
WICKET! Shafali Verma is out on 52 off 91, India 122/3.
Georgia Wareham has her first Test wicket as the Indian opener in trapped LBW. And there comes the hair ruffle for debut wickets! “Healy head-rub” is what it’s called, say the commentators.
Deepti Sharma, not Mithali Raj, is the new bat in.
India 119/2 after 32 overs: Look at that, three boundaries in the last two overs from Punam Raut. The message during Tea has been clear then?
We are back after Tea for the final session of what has been a fascinating Test!
FIFTY for Shafali Verma! India 106/2 after 30 overs:
The 17-year-old brings up her third half-century in just her second Test match. And what a way to get there – she smacks the ball straight down the ground for a boundary. She’s unbeaten on 51 (off 86) as Tea is taken.
India 100/2 after 29 overs
The 100 comes up for India with Raut and Verma playing at a slightly lower tempo than the opening pair. There is a lead of 236 runs but other batters are padded up, suggesting that there is likely to be no declaration.
India 74/2 after 20 overs: WICKET! Yastika Bhatia is out on 3 off 12.
That gamble didn’t last long then. Gardner knocks down her stumps with the ball slipping between bat and pad. Punam Raut in in next, an interesting pair with Shafali Verma at the other end.
Yastika Bhatia is promoted to No 3, an interesting choice. She comes ahead of Punam Raut and Mithali Raj, indicating India are also going for some sort of positive intent.
India 70/1 after 18 overs: WICKET! Smriti Mandhana is out on 31 off 48.
The opening stand has fallen to a wonderful catch by Ash Gardner in the deep! Sophie Molineux gets the breakthrough. The southpaw goes for a slogsweep but doesn’t get the distance.... and the Aussie runs in full tilt to complete a low, diving, amazing catch right at the boundary. That should delight the hosts!
Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana bring up their third 50-run opening partnership in just two Tests – the first Indian opening pair with two 50-plus stands in a women’s Test match.
And to think that earlier this year, the 17-year-old Verma was not picked in India’s ODI squad for the South Africa because of some arbitrary doubts over her longer-format batting!
India 55/0 after 15 overs: Another boundary for Mandhana in that over. India’s lead 191, with 56 overs remaining in the day.
STAT: For the third time in two Tests, a fifty-run opening stand between Smriti-Shafali!
India 51/0 after 14 overs: what a battle. Campbell keeps testing Verma withthe short stuff around the wicket. Verma has had enough, moves aside, swats one over midwicket.
India 43/0 after 13 overs: Campbell and McGrath in tandem now. The former testing Verma with the short stuff, but the radar is a bit misfiring as well. A wide delivery goes for four, added unfortunately to Healy’s account as byes. In McGrath’s over, Mandhana dances down the track a couple of times and nails one down the ground. Things getting interesting!
India 32/0 after 10 overs: Lofted pull shot from Mandhana, Gardner dives forward in the deal but can’t hang on. As good as Mandhana is with that shot, she tends to get out playing that often. Almost a first-over wicket for Campbell.
India 29/0 after 9 overs: Lovely pull shot from Mandhana for four. Ellyse Perry bowled 27 overs in India’s first innings, then batted for a duration of 76 overs during Australia’s innings and now has bowled a 5-over spell to start India’s 2nd innings.
India 25/0 after 8 overs: Gaps are being found, runs are coming up at a decent clip. Perry meanwhile continues her spell, having batted and batted and batted in Australia’s innings (and bowling a bulk of the overs in the first innings)
India 16/0 after 6 overs: A boundary over the ‘keeper’s head for Mandhana, well placed top edge. Shafali also starting to find her timing. No great hurry, but India keeping the scoreboard ticking.
India 6/0 after 4 overs: The first boundary of the Indian innings is a fine leg glance by Mandhana off Brown. The pacer beats the Indian opener with a peach after that. Once more, packed offside field for the left-hander.
India 2/0 after 2 overs: Perry and Brown with the new ball. Australia haven’t had much bowling to do under the lights with a new ball, so this could be interesting. A brain fade by Indian openers in running between the wickets in the second over, run out averted with Mandhana having given up. Verma just took after tapping to point.
India lead by 136 runs. Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana in the middle. Two sessions left.
Innings break: For all the talk about India’s scoring rate in this Test from the commentators (and Alyssa Healy too)
India 1st inns run rate: 2.60
Australia 1st inns run rate: 2.49
Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Australia have huffed and puffed past the follow-on mark in a home Test match. Well done, India. And now we possibly get to see declaration batting from Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, that could be fun. For the record, having made the statement with their bowling, would completely not mind India batting to stumps at a run rate of 2.50 either. There is absolutely no obligation from them to go bonkers with two sessions left. Five days, different story
Innings break: Good on Meg Lanning for the sporting declaration, keeping Ellyse Perry’s pink ball watch & the debate about the context of four-day multi-format Tests alive.
Australia declare.
So Ellyse Perry remains unbeaten for now in pink-ball Tests.
2 innings
281 runs scored
577 balls faced(Overall Test average: 86.50)
Session break: India lead 136 runs
Well then, Meg Lanning has declared! That will be dinner. Australia 241/9 declared, trail by 136 runs.
Intent from the Australian captain, with two sessions to go in this Test. But the first session well and truly belonged to India and the new-ball bowlers.
Who would have thought that the hosts would struggle to avoid follow on and the visitors will dominate with the ball.
Meanwhile on the Ellyse Perry-batting-with-the-pink-ball-watch...
WICKET! Darcie Brown is out on 8 of 18, Australia 240/9
Spin does the trick, Deepti Sharma traps Darcie Brown plumb with a wonderful delivery. No questions on this LBW call in the DRS-less match. That’s the ninth wicket to fall and the dinner break is likely to be extended now.
Spin comes in after the three-pronged pace attack with the new ball. Deepti Sharma, after a long conversation with skipper Mithali Raj, comes in to a close-in field. But the one loose ball of the over brings up a boundary. Australia 234/8
Ellyse Perry is dropped again – that’s twice in a span of 11 balls. First was a tough chance for Deepti Sharma at gully, but this was a low chance for keeper Taniya Bhatia who went in with one hand ans spilled it. Australia 230/8
Australia have officially avoided follow on!
Darcie Brown, the new bat in, gets a much-needed boundary and India will have to bat again in this match, if it comes to it. Regardless, there is much to enjoy in what is just the first session on the final day.
WICKET! Georgia Wareham is out on 2 off 11, Australia 223/8.
Pooja Vastrakar comes into the attack and strikes in her first over! Georgia Wareham is caught behind off an outswinger. This is turning out to be a superb new-ball attack from India. Australia still need 5 to avoid follow on with Ellyese Perry around.
But a delightful first session for India in what were good batting conditions and one-way traffic in the first hour.
Back-to-back maiden overs. Last 7 overs – 6 runs, 2 wickets.
The pressure is all on Australia since the new ball came in.
Perry plays out a maiden over off Goswami. Meanwhile, some worried faces in the Australian dug-out. Georgia Wareham is the new bat in.
WICKET! Sophie Molineux is out on 2 off 14, Australia 220/7.
Meghna Singh has picked her second with the new ball, trapping the batter plumb. This just a ball after Perry got a reprieve off a tough chance.
A wonderful new ball spell and suddenly the pressure is back on Australia. 8 runs needed to avoid follow-on.
WICKET! Annabel Sutherland is out on 3 off 20, Australia 216/6
Meghna Singh gets her first Test wicket and she gets it with a delicious outswinger! It was a perfect dismissal – hint of swing, taking a slight edge and heading straight to keeper Taniya Bhatia.
India celebrate and even bring out the hair ruffle for maiden wicket that we have seen in the Australian camp this series. Nice touch!
The new ball is taken and Jhulan Goswami comes back into the attack and starts off with a maiden over. Australia 210/5
WICKET! Ash Gardner is out on 51 off 86. Australia 208/5.
Finally a breakthrough! Deepti Sharma gets the breakthrough, a good, low catch from Mithali Raj at mid-off. A wicket maiden for the off-spinner. The partnership is broken but it has done the job for Australia in the first hour.
Annabel Sutherland is the new bat in.
FIFTY for Ashleigh Gardner! Her first Test half-century in her second match. A very good knock after coming in at a tricky time, getting there in 80 balls with six boundaries.
The 200 comes up for Australia, with the runs coming regularly with boundaries in every over. The partnership is into the 80s now and Gardner is fast approaching her fifty as well.
FIFTY for Ellyse Perry!
She loves batting in Test cricket, doesn’t she? Yet to be dismissed in a Pink Ball Test, she scores her second Test fifty in 9 matches (two hundreds.)
This was a hard-fought knock, 53 off 155 balls, but it’s safe to say the all-round, all-format GOAT is back in form! And Australia are well off from having to worry about follow on.
Pace is back into the attack as Meghna Singh comes in and gives away just 1 run. But the wait for a breakthrough continues. Australia 177/4, need 51 runs to avoid follow-on.
And we thought Perry was out of form after the ODI leg of the tour!
The 50-run stand between Perry and Gardner comes up with a cracking boundary by Gardner. (53 off 125 balls) Both batters are using their feet against spin and trying to keep the score ticking. Australia 172/3.
Spin from both ends with Rajeshwari Gayakwad. Both Perry and Gardner are well settled in and good players of spin. Australia 162/4.
After five overs of seam bowling, Deepti Sharma comes in with spin. One ball worth run in her over and Perry sweeps it to the boundary to keep the runs coming. Australia 160/4, need 68 runs to avoid follow on.
The conditions are good to bat on, the ball is older and Ellyse Perry has settled in. Australia 156/4, need 72 runs to avoid follow on.
Pooja Vastrakar, who was very impressive yesterday, from the other end. In the post-match interaction yesterday, said it was important to come in with more intent on the final day of the pink-ball Test against Australia in Gold Coast and try to enforce the follow-on. What can she do here?
Pooja Vastrakar says plan would be to try and enforce follow-on on final day
A boundary off the first ball but five singles after. One loose ball and over and the Australian can pounce.
Australia showing positive intent, with three runs and attempts for scoring shots in that over. They need 82 to avoid follow on. Australia 146/3
Technically, there’s only one team that can really force a result. Can Indian bowlers make history today? Or will Australia’s formidable batting roar?
Jhulan Goswami with the ball, Ellyse Perry to face her. Here we go!
09.20 am: Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the final day of the day-night Test match between Australia and India at Metricon Stadium in Gold Coast.
Replying to India’s 377/8, Australia reached 143/4 in their first innings at stumps on the third day of the rain-marred women’’s day/night Test against India in Gold Coast on Saturday.
Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner were batting on 27 and 13 respectively at stumps.
Australia trail by 234 runs after India declared their first innings for the highest ever score by a visiting Test team Down Under.
Brief Scores:
India: 377 for 8 declared in 145 overs (Smriti Mandhana 127, Deepti Sharma 66; Sophie Molineux 2/45, Stella Campbell 2/47, Ellyse Perry 2/76).
Australia: 143 for 4 in 60 overs (Meg Lanning 38, Jhulan Goswami 2/27, Pooja Vastrakar 2/31).