Perth, March 8: Australia translated their overwhelming dominance over the last three days into a lop-sided 10-wicket win over India in the one-off women’s day-night Test here on Sunday.
Australia earlier did the ground work for their victory, bowling out India for 149 in their second innings, and then scaled down a nominal target of 25 without any ado.
It was also a fitting farewell for skipper Alyssa Healy, who ended her career in Baggy Green with a magnificent win over a rival against whom she always excelled.
Writing was very much on the wall once India started the third day at 105 for six. Overnight India batters Pratika Rawal (63) and Sneh Rana (30) took India to 132.
Rawal showed excellent temperament during her fifty but the task was way too tall for her to manage.
Once Rana was ousted by Ash Gardener with a quick delivery taking out the batter’s off-stump, India combusted quickly.
A combination of Gardner and Player of the Match Annabel Sutherland fittingly ended India’s innings. Sutherland took a fine tumbling catch at the edge of the circle when Rawal’s mistimed pull off the off-spinner failed to find power or distance.
It also signalled the end of India’s second innings.
Australia openers Georgia Voll and Phoebe Litchfield were never going to be challenged by a target of 25, and the pair did the job with ease in just 4.3 overs.
“We started well in T20Is with a series win, but could not continue the good work in ODIs and Tests but playing a full series in Australia was a good experience. The Pink Ball Test was a different challenge,” said India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said after the match.
Her Australian counterpart Healy said: “Bouncing back from the T20 series defeat was unbelievable and proud of the bunch.
“I am going to sing that team song one last time, but happy to see this team going forward and get some good results. The last week or so has been amazing,” said Healy. (PTI)
BRIEF SCORES
IND: 198 & 149
(Pratika Rawal 63,
Sneh Rana 30;
Lucy Hamilton 3/32,
Ashleigh Gardner 2/8,
Annabel Sutherland 2/15,
Alana King 2/23)
AUS: 323 & 23/0
(Georgia Voll 16*,
Phoebe Litchfield 11*).
