Mumbai, Dec 23: Captain Harmanpreet Kaur claimed two crucial wickets, bowling in a Test at home after nine years after Tahila McGrath struck a defiant second half-century of the match as Australia led by 46 runs with five wickets remaining, leaving on knife’s edge the one-off Test of the series at the Wankhede Stadium.
Australia rode on a brilliant 73 by McGrath and her 84-run partnership for the third wicket with Ellyse Perry (45) and a 66-run stand with skipper Alyssa Healy (32) as they wiped out India’s lead of 187.
Harmanpreet, who has the third-best match figures of 9-85 against South Africa in 2014, brought herself into the attack and sent back McGrath off the fifth ball of her first over and then a few overs later, got Healy to reduce Australia to 221/5.
At stumps on the third day, Australia were 233/5 from 90 overs with Annabel Sutherland batting on 12 with Ashleigh Gardner on seven, with all three results possible in the match.
What gives the Indians hope is that Australia are effectively 46 runs with only 5 wickets in hand going into the final day on Sunday.
The hosts will now hope to knock off the remaining Australian wickets as soon as possible and then score the runs limited to claim victory.
Australia on their part would hope to extend the lead to 150-odd and then try and bundle out India in two sessions or so.After Australia ended India’s first innings in 36 minutes in the morning after the addition of just 30 runs to the overnight score of 376/7, openers Mooney and Litchfield raised 49 runs for the first wicket before they squandered the advantage by losing two easy wickets.
Mooney was the first to go, run out by Richa Ghosh for 33 off 37 balls, studded with seven boundaries.
Mooney, who had batted well in the first innings too, ventured out of the crease in her follow-through while playing a defensive shot and Ghosh, stationed at silly point struck the stumps with Mooney well out, casually ambling to the crease not expecting Ghosh to hit the stumps. Australia lost their first wicket for 49 runs.A few minutes later, Litchfield joined her in the dressing room, bowled by Sneh Rana for 18 off 44 balls.From 49 for no loss, Australia slumped to 56/2 in the space of 12 deliveries a few minutes before the lunch break.(IANS)
