In a historic win, India registered their maiden Test victory over Australia with an eight-wicket win in the one-off Women's Test at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
India Women concluded their first 'home season' of Test cricket in 28 years with a fitting conclusion, securing a historic maiden victory over Australia in the one-off Test at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.Β On the final day, India excelled both with the ball and bat to quell a determined Australian comeback. They initiated a collapse in the visitors' lineup, taking the last five wickets for 28 runs. Subsequently, India effortlessly chased down a modest target of 75 to secure an eight-wicket victory.
Smriti Mandhana (38 not out) and Jemimah Rodrigues (12 not out) shared a heartfelt embrace as they achieved the goal of defeating a world-dominating side. This gesture evoked memories of India's subdued reaction in 2008 in Australia when MS Dhoni's side, after beating the hosts, made a statement by refraining from exuberant celebrations.
Following this win, the fans at Wankhede Stadium erupted and a video of them singing Vande Mataram in the stands went viral on X. Some users also appreciated the crowd for turning up to witnessed this historic game in Indian women's cricket. Here's a look at some of the reactions, which includes the Indian eves acknowledging the support received.
We needed last wkt, crowd starts singing Vande Mataram and π₯
Unreal support at the Wankhede to our team
The chants are surreal is a rockstar and her gang are π₯ pic.twitter.com/5THQ6We0J0
Brilliant performance throughout π₯ Kudos to the Wankhede crowd as well, for cheering until the very end. Historic result π was amazing as always! https://t.co/TQx1MeNjNW
β Sanchit Desai (@sanchitd43)Wankhede crowd, a salute to the best fans in India!
They came, they cheered, they roared for the Indian Women's team. pic.twitter.com/ISb2HN3tHm
India women's Cricket team thanking Wankhede crowd for their support.
~ This is So beautiful..!!!!! pic.twitter.com/x1tYuERCQc
A beautiful moment as the India Women's team expresses gratitude to the Wankhede crowd for their support. pic.twitter.com/CMO8RY4JKC
β Yogesh Yadav (@yogeshydv03)Playing multiple Tests at home for the first time since 1995, the team scarcely made a misstep. India Women stayed true to their commitment of playing 'positive cricket,' navigated through all minor challenges, and largely dictated terms against formidable opponents like Australia and England.
Indeed, Team India displayed a consistent and clinical performance in the two home Tests held on diverse surfaces at the Wankhede Stadium and the DY Patil Stadium against England. This achievement is noteworthy, especially considering they were playing on home soil for the first time in nearly a decade.
India, with their monumental victory against England, achieved the largest margin of runs in Test cricket. Additionally, their historic triumph over Australia in 11 Tests has tilted the balance in favor of more entries in the 'matches won' column compared to 'matches lost.' In a total of 41 Tests, India boasts seven wins and six defeats, with 27 matches ending in draws.
India's commanding performance underscores the need for cricket authorities to contemplate hosting more 'home' Tests in the future, as such games have been infrequent in the past.
πππππππ ππ ππππ½πΌπ! π women register their first win against Australia in Test Cricket ππ
Scorecard βΆοΈ https://t.co/7o69J2XRwi | pic.twitter.com/R1GKeuRa69
Last week's victory against England not only marked the triumph for the team but also witnessed the emergence of new Test stars in Jemimah Rodrigues, Shubha Satheesh, and Renuka Singh Thakur. In the match against Australia, the spotlight shifted to the 20-year-old Richa Ghosh, who made a striking debut with an impressive score of 52.
On the morning of the fourth day, Indian spinners took control as the trio of Sneh Rana (5-2-9-2), Rajeshwari Gayakwad (1.4-1-0-2), and Deepti Sharma (3-2-5-0) joined forces to wreak havoc on the Australian resistance.
Australia, aiming to expand on their narrow lead of 46 runs, suffered a dramatic collapse, losing five wickets in the initial 45 minutes of the day and ultimately conceding the game to India.
The onslaught began with Pooja Vastrakar, who dismissed Ashleigh Gardner for seven by trapping her in front of the wickets. Sneh Rana further tilted the game in India's favor by taking two crucial wickets, removing Annabel Sutherland (27) and Alana King (0).
Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who faced misfortune in not securing any success on the third day despite creating breakthrough opportunities, finally reaped rewards by dismissing Kim Garth (4) to claim her first wicket in the innings.
Gayakwad proceeded to mystify Jess Jonassen (9) with a delivery that sharply turned into the left-hander, crashing into the middle and leg stumps. The last recognized Australian batter nearly toppled over on her front foot in an attempt to contend with the challenging delivery.
Australia, after choosing to bat, managed a moderate score of 219 in their first innings and were subsequently bundled out for 261 in the second innings.
Kudos to Team India Women for making history!! The ascent of women's cricket is remarkable, with Captain Harmanpreet Kaur leading the way. A round of applause for this outstanding performance! ππ₯ππ pic.twitter.com/EVgP96D8Pg
β Deeksha. (@CrickettFanGirl)India once again displayed batting supremacy, posting a formidable total of 406 in their first innings, marking their highest-ever score against Australia in Tests.
Shafali Verma began the innings by cracking the first ball for a four, but Garth responded with a superb delivery that induced an outside edge off her bat. Skipper Alyssa Healy made no mistake in catching the ball, providing the first breakthrough of the innings. However, Beth Mooney missed a straightforward catch off Gardner, offering Richa Ghosh (13) an early reprieve when she had yet to score.
Ghosh proceeded to form a partnership of 51 runs for the second wicket with Mandhana (38 not out off 61 balls, 6x4s) after the early dismissal of Shafali Verma (4) in the first over. Subsequently, Rodrigues and Mandhana successfully completed the task.