Pooja Vastrakar claimed two wickets to give India the upperhand on Day 1 of the one-off Test match against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
Vastrakar struck with the last ball of the morning session, dismissing the well-set Beth Mooney for 40 as Australia went into the lunch break on 103/4 in 29 overs.
Electing to bat, Australia suffered a blow in the very first over. The young Phoebe Litchfield was run out without facing a ball after a huge misunderstanding with opening partner Mooney.
Ellyse Perry lasted just two balls as she was bowled by a superb incoming delivery from Vastrakar in the next over as Australia slipped to 7/2.
Tahlia McGrath, who was dropped twice, stroked a fluent half-century. She stroked 50 from 56 balls, hitting eight boundaries, before she was caught at midwicket by Rajeshwari Gayakwad off the bowling of spinner Sneh Rana.
McGrath had put on 80 runs for the third wicket with Mooney to revive Australia after the two early wickets
Vastrakar dealt the visitors another blow with the wicket of Mooney, who fended the short ball straight into the hands of Rana at first slip.
Captain Alyssa Healy was unbeaten on nine at the lunch interval on the opening day.
Earlier, Australia’s women’s team skipper Alyssa Healy won the toss and opted to bat against India, who handed a Test debut to youngster Richa Ghosh.
Teams:
Australia Women: Alyssa Healy (captain, w/k), Beth Mooney, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Kim Garth, Lauren Cheatle.
India Women: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika Bhatia (w/k), Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Pooja Vastrakar, Renuka Thakur Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
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