The Indian women’s cricket team registered their maiden Test victory over Australia in Mumbai on Sunday but the achievement was not without controversies. During Day 3 of the one-off Test match, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and her Australian counterpart Alyssa Healy were involved in an on-field spat. While bowling to Healy, Harmanpreet threw the ball directly towards the batter but the Australian cricketer deflected it off her bat to the boundary. Although the Indian cricketers appealed for a ‘obstructing the field’ dismissal, umpire said that it was a four.
On the very next delivery, Harmanpreet dismissed Healy and she decided to give her a send-off.
Following the match, Healy was asked about the incident and she gave her honest take.
“I don’t necessarily think there is a rivalry. I think that we’re just two cricketers going at it. That’s basically the way that I’d sum it up,” said Healy.
“She’s obviously a passionate cricketer, so am I. That’s what happens when Australia plays India. It’s a good, hard contest. Yesterday was just probably an example of that,” she added.
It was a befitting end to India Women’s first ‘home season’ of Test cricket in 28 years as they recorded a historic maiden victory over a venerable Australia in the one-off Test on Sunday.
On the final day, India produced their best both with the ball and bat to thwart a spirited Australian resurgence, first sparking a collapse in the visitors’ ranks to snaffle the remaining five wickets for 28 and then knocking off a meagre target of 75 without much ado to script an eight-wicket win.
Smriti Mandhana (38 not out) and Jemimah Rodrigues (12 not out) embraced each other in a warm hug when the objective of beating a world-dominating side was accomplished, bringing back memories of India’s shushed reaction in 2008 in Australia when MS Dhoni‘s side beat the hosts and made a statement by not indulging in any passionate celebrations.
Playing more than one Test at home for the first time since 1995, there was hardly a moment when the team put a foot wrong.
India Women’s stuck to the promise of playing ‘positive cricket’, weathered all mini storms along the way and largely dictated terms against fancied opponents in Australia and England.
In fact, there was no disparity in Team India’s clinical performance in the two home Tests played on different surfaces here at the Wankhede Stadium and at the DY Patil Stadium against England, considering they were playing at home for the first time in almost a decade.
While India scripted the biggest win for any team by margin of runs against England, their first-ever triumph over Australia in 11 Tests now has ensured more entries in the column of ‘matches won’ compared to ‘matches lost’.
In 41 Tests, India now have seven wins and six defeats, while 27 have been drawn.
(With PTI inputs)
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