In an emotional roller-coaster of a cricket match, Australia faced a tough challenge from Richa Ghosh’s impressive score of 96, her best in ODIs. Despite her efforts, Australia managed to win the game by just three runs in the second ODI at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday (December 30).
It was a nail-biting match as India, chasing a target of 259 on a tricky pitch, seemed set to win at 218/4 with Richa nearing her first ODI century. However, her dismissal triggered a collapse, leading Australian team to secure the series victory with one game left.
Australia batted first and 259 runs target.
Australian team chose to bat on a different pitch, and their openers struggled initially. The slow pitch and tight bowling from India made the first ten overs challenging. Some dropped catches and missed reviews allowed Aussies to recover. Pooja Vastrakar broke the opening partnership by dismissing Alyssa Healy, and the Australian captain couldn’t find her rhythm.
Phoebe Litchfield and Ellyse Perry steadied the innings, but the pitch’s sluggish nature made scoring difficult. Perry’s dismissal opened the door for India, and their spinners, led by Deepti Sharma, created problems for the Australian batters. Sneh Rana and debutant Shreyanka Patil provided crucial support, and despite dropped catches, India restricted Australia’s scoring.
India fell 3 runs short to win the game .
In the chase, India started positively with Smriti Mandhana’s quick start. However, Australia tightened their bowling, disrupting India’s momentum. Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa built an 88-run partnership, playing smartly to keep the chase alive. Richa, struggling with cramps, displayed powerful hitting but fell just short of a century. Her dismissal turned the game in Aussies favor, and Annabel Sutherland’s excellent bowling, especially towards the end, helped secure the win. Although both teams missed catches, India’s fielding lapses proved more costly.
Notable performances included Richa Ghosh’s outstanding 96 runs, Smriti Mandhana’s solid 34, and Jemimah Rodrigues’ 44. However, Australia’s bowlers, especially Annabel Sutherland and Georgia Wareham, made crucial breakthroughs. Despite a middle-order collapse, Deepti Sharma anchored the innings with an unbeaten 24. Australia’s disciplined bowling restricted India, leading to a final score of 255-8.
In the end, Australia’s resilience and ability to capitalize on key moments, combined with India’s missed opportunities, made the difference in the thrilling contest.
Sutherland, Player of the Match:
It was good fun. It was a team effort in the field. Just held our nerves as much as possible. We were able to hold on towards the end. Was trying to keep the stumps in play as much as possible. She (Healy) showed faith in me and I delivered. Try to read the game as much as possible. Experience comes playing franchise cricker and domestic cricket back home. Just try to trust my instincts. I thought it was tricky, it was slow and there was spin. Alana King was unbelievable with her striking towards the end. We needed that to get to that total. We went into the break with momentum on our side.
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