India’s 15-year-old batting sensation Shafali Verma (124 off 78) and captain Veda Krishnamurthy (113 off 99) slammed centuries as India A won their first one-day game in Australia. The visitors piled on 312/9 in 50 overs before Devika Vaidya took a four-wicket haul to give India a solid 16-run win.
This is India A’s first tour Down Under after A tours for women were revived.
Australia A, led by Tahlia McGrath, won the toss and elected to bowl first at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Thursday. With bowlers who are fresh off the Women’s Big Bash League, including highest wicket-taker Molly Strano, it seemed like a good call.
But India’s national team T20I opener Verma, who had broken Sachin Tendulkar’s record for the youngest Indian to score an international fifty in West Indies, continued in the same vein with a sizzling innings at the top of the order. Her 78-ball 124 included 19 boundaries and four sixes.
After she was dismissed by Strano in the 22nd over, captain Veda took up the mantle of big-hitting. Veda, who was a regular in the Indian ODI squad before a brief spell outside, showed good form with a knock that included 16 fours and a six.
Other than these two, no Indian batter crossed 20 runs, with internationals Priya Punia and D Hemlatha having poor outings.
In the chase, AUstralia started strong with opener McGrath scoring 97 runs. However, India started taking wickets at regular intervals and a late burst by Vaidya ensured that could not get to the target.
Dayalan Hemalatha took two wickets while Manali Dakshini and TP Kanwer got one wicket each.
India will play two more one-day games and three T20s on the tour, which is also a rehearsal for the T20 World Cup in Australia starting February.
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