India's 'relentlessness' takes them to historic win over Australia
The fourth and final day of the one-off Test was poised to provide a thriller but Harmanpreet and Co wrapped things up in quick time
The celebrations had begun well before Smriti Mandhana stepped down the track and hit the winning runs. The sense of occasion wasn't lost on the 1,000-odd fans in attendance, who were all seated in the stand above the Australian dugout. They had been amusing players from both teams with their clever chants over the four days, and with a historic win in sight, there was a festive atmosphere in that section of the Wankhede Stadium here on Sunday.
And then came the big moment as India sealed their first Test victory in 11 attempts against Australia. It was a dominant eight-wicket win at that. Just over a week after their record win over England, Harmanpreet Kaur and Co trumped the mighty Aussies. To put things in perspective, till a couple of weeks ago, India had won just five of the 38 Tests they had ever played.
“England and Australia are the two best teams in the world and we beat them by a good margin. It’s an amazing feeling,” said Sneh Rana, who was declared the player of the match for her haul of seven wickets and a crucial 50-run partnership with Smriti in the first innings.
After an intriguing Day 3 that saw both teams battle hard to gain the edge, the fourth and final day of the one-off Test was poised to provide a thriller. Australia had a 46-run lead with five wickets remaining and could’ve put the hosts under pressure by having a strong first session with the bat. But it took India just 94 deliveries to wrap up the innings and set themselves a target of 75 runs. Pooja Vastrakar dismissed Ash Gardner in the second over of the day, before Sneh and Rajeshwari Gayakwad split the last four wickets between them.
“This victory means a lot to us,” said Sneh. “We’ve had Test matches in India after such a long time (nine years), it’s a format that I think most people rate the highest. We’re very fortunate that we got to play back-to-back Tests, that too in home conditions. I hope we continue to get more opportunities to play Test cricket, because it’ll also be beneficial to the next generation of players.”
For Australia, who were playing a Test in India after almost 40 years, it was a contest that provided many learnings. Skipper Alyssa Healy didn’t term the conditions extreme, but acknowledged the immense pressure her batters were put under by India’s bowling attack.
“Their relentlessness with the ball was what probably stood out for me,” said Healy. “They were, obviously, heavy favourites at their home venue, they’ve grown up playing in these conditions. I think their batting was a lot different to us, but they’re probably more comfortable playing some shots that we haven’t grown up playing. But I think the relentless nature with the way they bowled at us, their three spinners in particular worked really, really well together. It made it really hard for us.
“At times, it felt like we weren’t scoring or the game was stagnated just a little bit and we couldn’t really throw a punch. I don’t necessarily think India have improved or anything like that, I think they’ve always been a really, really good cricket team. I just think maybe now they’ve got some belief and confidence in their own ability, that they can match it with the best teams. And that’s a really daunting thing for a lot of the teams around the world.”
Earlier this month, Indian women’s cricket had entered a transitional phase with a fresh coaching setup and several new players in the mix. The three-match T20I series against England was lost, but victories in consecutive Tests against formidable opponents raises hopes of continued success in the coming year. India handed debuts to Jemimah Rodrigues, Renuka Singh Thakur, Shubha Satheesh and Richa Ghosh across the two Tests, with all four players delivering impressive performances.
For Amol Muzumdar, it’s a promising start to his stint as head coach. The former Mumbai captain had said the team would play “fearless cricket”, and the courage with which they tackled testing situations was there for all to see.
“He (Muzumdar) is so experienced and plays a very important role for us,” said Sneh. “We really liked all the inputs he gave and tried our best to execute them. The results have been there for all to see in these last two Tests. We’re very thankful that he’s here as our coach will try to keep performing well under his guidance.”
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