Twitter Reactions: Smriti Mandhana and bowlers cap off a dominating show as Day-Night Test ends in a draw

India’s first-ever pink-ball Test match against Australia ended in a draw with both skippers Mithali Raj and Meg Lanning calling off the game mutually. By and large, it was an expected result on the cards with rain playing spoilsport on the first and second day. Australia started the final day trailing by 234 runs with their all-rounders Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner at the crease.

The duo added 89 runs for the fifth wicket before Gardner departed for a well-made 51. That wicket gave the visitors a small opening and from there on they swiftly removed four wickets for just 32 runs and India restricted Australia to 241. Perry top-scored for the home team with an unbeaten 68. For the visitors, Pooja Vastrakar picked three wickets and was well supported by Jhulan Goswami, Deepti Sharma, and Meghna Singh, who all chipped in with two wickets apiece.

With a lead of 136, India openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma came out with a positive intent to score runs. The duo added 70 odd runs in 17 overs before the former departed for 31. Verma continued heavily and got to her third fifty. India added 135 runs before skipper Mithali decided to declare, setting Australia an improbable target of 271 to get.

Goswami and Vastrakar picked the wickets of Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney respectively before the match was called off with Australia placed at 36 for 2.

Smriti Mandhana’s brilliant century hogs limelight

The pink-ball Test match started with doubts about whether India batters would be able to play the moving ball under lights. Verma and Smriti Mandhana put those doubts aside by seeing off the first hour. In the process, the duo added 93 runs for the first wicket and laid the perfect foundation for the middle-order batters. Mandhana though was determined to make the start count and was playing shots whenever Australia bowlers bowled her short.

The southpaw eventfully got to her maiden hundred and become the first Indian women batter to do in the pink-ball Test. Her impressive knock of 127 enabled India to post a good score of 377. For Australia, Perry joined an elite club of all-rounders and became the first women cricketer to score 5000 runs and pick 300 international wickets.

With the Test match ending in a draw, Australia leads the multi-format series with six points. Meanwhile, India has four points. Both teams will next be seen in action in a three-match T20I series, which begins on Thursday, (7 October).

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