In the second WODI between Indiaand Australia played in Mohali on September 17, the former pummeled the latter by a colossal margin of 102 runs and levelled the series by 1-1. Earlier, Australia captain Alyssa Healy won the toss and elected to field first. Opener Smriti Mandhana looked confident with her bat and stitched a 70-run stand with Pratika Rawal for the first wicket. Within the first 20 overs, India lost Rawal and Harleen Deol but Mandhana didn’t relent and took the visiting team’s bowling attack to the cleaners. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur looked ineffective with her bat and departed after scoring 17 off 26. India skipper became the victim of Ashleigh Gardner.
Smriti went on to notch up her 12 WODI ton after playing 77 balls. She concluded
her knock after amassing 117 off just 91. Tahlia McGrath got the 29-year-old’s valuable wicket. Deepti Sharma (40 off 53) and Richa Ghosh (29 off 33) made crucial contributions to help India head towards the massive score. In the final overs of the innings, Sneh Rana also played a swift knock of 24 off 18 to help India post a fine total of 292 in 49.5 overs. Darcie Brown emerged as the most successful bowler for Australia as she picked up 3/42 figures in her eight-over spell. Gardner also got two wickets while Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, and Tahlia McGrath also got one wicket apiece.
Australia capitulated on 190 in the reply to the target
Chasing the target, Australialost their openers Healy and Georgie Voll at the score of 12 in 4.3 overs. In the crunch situation, veteran Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney built a 50-run stand off 73 balls. Sneh Rana broke their stand as she got Mooney caught at the hands of Arundhati Reddy. The 31-year-old went back to the dugout after scoring 18 off 34.
Radha Yadav dismissed Perry, who returned to the pavilion with her 44 off 61. Following Perry’s fall, only Annabel Sutherland displayed her fighting spirit with her brisk 45 off 42. Gardner and Tahlia lost their battle to Deepti Sharma, which took them close to the defeat. Eventually, Kranti Goud cleaned up Georgie Wareham and ended Australia’s innings on 190 in 40.5 overs. Smriti Mandhana became the Player of the Match (POTM) for her sensational batting show.
