Key events
77th over: Australia 218-9 (Garth 27, Cheatle 6) Deepti wheels through six more, Australia see her off. The new ball will be available in three overs and the players take DRINKS! Total advert switch for women’s Tests – sanitary towels and washing machines!
76th over: Australia 217-9 (Garth 26, Cheatle 6) Cheatle drives powerfully and picks up four straight past a dramatically swallow-driving Rana. A tickle behind brings a boundary to Garth. Crucial runs this for the last wicket.
75th over: Australia 207-9 (Garth 21, Cheatle 1)Deepti continues – Australia’s bowlers must be licking their lips at what looks like it will be a nice little session at the end of the day. Garth sweeps, misses, the umpire reviews a stumped appeal – but Garth keeps the toe of her boot just on the crease. A maiden.
74th over: Australia 207-9 (Garth 21, Cheatle 1) Garth, wearing the mantle of accumulation responsibility, misses a sweep , but she and Garth pick up three singles.
73rd over: Australia 204-9 (Garth 19, Cheatle 0) Harmanpreet whistles for Vastrakar – which results in a chat with umpire – not sure what’s happening there. Deepti resumes. Ah – it is because Vastrakar was off the field for a certain amount of time and hasn’t made it up yet. Australia pass the magic 200, in fact five from Deepti’s over.
72nd over: Australia 199-9 (Garth 14, Cheatle 0) Another over rattled through by Rajeshwari.
71st over: Australia 198-9 (Garth 13, Cheatle 0) A straight drive past the diving hand of bowler Deepti brings Jonassen four, and, emboldened, she reverse-sweeps to her doom. India review a second lbw in the over against Test debutant Cheatle, but there is a deviation from bat onto pad.
WICKET! Jonassen lbw Deepti 19 (Australia 198-9)
Jonassen plumps for a reverse-sweep, misses, and the ball hits on the edge of the front pad. Given not out on the field, but India review and this time get their woman.
70th over: Australia 194-8 (Jonassen 15, Garth 13) Another maiden rips by – Rajeshwari reels through her variations: now has 12 overs for 28.
69th over: Australia 194-8 (Jonassen 15, Garth 13) Jonassen reverse-sweeps with aplomp, but Shafali is lurking at points and swoops with one hand to cut it of. Another maiden.
Hello Mark Gretton!
“Absolutely with you on the coloured Christmas tree lights. My childhood Christmases were in the 60s and 70s and a real tree with brightly coloured lights was how I learned it should be done.
”Though at times these days this has been much-mocked on social media by youngsters (ie people under the age of 50) with sophisticated white lights, I do love the coloured exuberance for its own sake as well as the memories evoked. And when was Christmas ever about looking sophisticated? Enjoy the flamboyantly coloured ecstasy!”
68th over: Australia 194-8 (Jonassen 14, Garth 13) Garth picks up a single, off Rajeshwari; Jonassen tries to hurry things up by sweeping, inelegantly. India review it … though I’m not convinced, it seems to have hit her hip. Not sure Harmanpreet is either as she and Shafali Verma have a giggle as they watch the review. Two reviews remaining for India.
67th over: Australia 190-8 (Jonassen 14, Garth 10) Jonassen tries to break the stranglehold by having a good old fashioned swipe at Deepti – but misses. Another maiden.
66th over: Australia 190-8 (Jonassen 14, Garth 10) Another maiden, the third in four overs, as the slow left arm of Rajeshwari Gayakward returns.
Interesting:
Just like in 2014, when the BCCI refused to allow the ECB to make the Wormsley Test part of a points-based series.
Very odd indeed – I can’t see any reason why you wouldn’t want to give the Test added context?! https://t.co/3MtkSqcMQg
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) December 20, 2023
65th over: Australia 190-8 (Jonassen 14, Garth 10) Pooja Vastraka gets a rest, Deepti returns. Garth nearly falls for the switch straight away, having a drive of relief, the ball just missing the outside edge.
64th over: Australia 189-8 (Jonassen 14, Garth 9) Rana smiling, always smiling, floats down tempters, full and slow. The elegant bare bones of the Wankhede stadium watches. A maiden.
63rd over: Australia 189-8 (Jonassen 14, Garth 9)Vastrakar gets one to loop away from the probing Garth. The next jags in – super bowling. A maiden.
62nd over: Australia 189-8 (Jonassen 14, Garth 9) Interested to know if there is an OBO consensus on Christmas tree lights. After having warm white ones for ages, I swapped to coloured bulbs a couple of years ago and I love them – it really reminds me of my childhood in the 80s. Rana reels through another over, Jonassen tucks into a full toss on the pads and flambees it for six.
Evening session
61st over: Australia 182-8 ( Jonassen 8, Garth 8 ) Can India rattle through these last two wickets and get a good hour in with the bat? Harmanpreet turns to her daemon Vastrakar: nice, solid, tricky over.
Time for me to make a quick pot of coffee – back soon!
Tea: Australia 180-8
60th over: Australia 180-8 ( Jonassen 6, Garth 8 ) Carefully, carefully, Jonassen prods forward at Rana. And that’s the over, and the session. A tight-lipped Australia stroll over, losing four wickets in the first session, four wickets after lunch – advantage India!
59th over: Australia 179-8 ( Jonassen 5, Garth 8 ) Just one from Deepti’s over as Australia play for tea.
58th over: Australia 178-8 ( Jonassen 4, Garth 8 ) Rana continues as the dog snores net to me in a perfect doughnut. OOof, Garth nearly beaten as she plays forward, the next is on leg stump and Garth turns it away for four. “India” shouts echo round the fairly empty stadium. And Deepti shells another at slip, a hard one as Garth gets an outside edge and she can’t grasp on with one hand. A tricksy over.
57th over: Australia 173-8 ( Jonassen 3, Garth 4 ) Vastrakar. Fizzes one in which rises despite the low bounce and Garth ducks underneath. Ten minutes or so till tea.
56th over: Australia 170-8 ( Jonassen 2, Garth 2 ) Dawn has broken and the silver birch outside the window is now visible – waving its fingers in some disbelief at the Australian scorecard. They do at least survive an lbw shout in the over, as Garth is given out on the field, but saved on review which clearly shows bat before pad.
WICKET! King c Yastika b Rana 5 (Australia 168-8)
Rana replaces Deepti, a huge appeal first ball. The umpire says no, but India want this. And sure enough, a fine squiggle appears on the DRS monitor as King pushes forward.
55th over: Australia 168-7 ( Jonassen 2, King 5) Vastrakar, collar flicked, tail up, hedgehog hair high with product. Makes the ball sing,
54th over: Australia 165-7 ( Jonassen 0, King 5) King prods forward unconvincingly at Deepti, but it falls just short of Rana’s outstretched right hand at slip and rolls away for four.
53rd over: Australia 161-7 ( Jonassen 0, King 1) A fourth for Vastrakar, another excellent over, and a touch of swagger as she strolls back to her fielding position.
WICKET! Gardner c Bhatia b Vastrakar (Australia 160-7)
Gardner, drawn in, leans back and pokes like someone who doesn’t want to know what is hiding in the long grass. Bhatia does the rest.
52nd over: Australia 160-6 (Gardner 11, Jonassen 0) Just one off Deepti. An email falls: hello Kim Thonger!
“Morning Tanya. It’s a wild and windy day in Rutland.
If you want a line dropping, Blaise Pascal is your man.
“The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing”, explains the emotional motivation of almost every sports fan in history.” I love it.
WICKET! Sutherland lbw Vastrakar 16 (Australia 159-6)
No room for error against Vastrakar! She arrows one in and pins Sutherland on the crease.
51st over: Australia 159-6 (Gardner 9) Vastrakar returns, after two crucial wickets earlier today. The spinners were doing a great containing job, let’s see what Vastrakar can do. The ball sneaks past the outside of Sutherland’s bat as she pushes forward. Hands fly on heads alround the field. Aha! The next ball creeps in and Sutherland is caugh on the crease. Doesn’t review. Bowling change manna!
50th over: Australia 157-5 (Sutherland 15, Gardner 9) Gardener breaks the string of dots by shimmying down the wicket to flick Deepti on the leg side for a single. Do drop me a line this shortest/longest day – whether you’re hunkering down in these high dark winds, heading to the beach – or anything in between
49th over: Australia 155-5 (Sutherland 14, Gardner 8) Huge appeal off Rana’s first ball, but the umpire says no and so does Harmanpreet – perhaps stung by her review decisions over the last ten days . Sutherland goes on the attack to the second, dancing down the pitch but Rana dives full length to stop it. Nice feet by Sutherland, but a maiden.
48th over: Australia 155-5 (Sutherland 14, Gardner 8) Deepti Sharma with the ball: long sleeves, baggy trousers, shot of short black hair, and on the back of her 9-39 against England. Has lost a few sparks of her golden crown by dropping a couple of catches today. Wheels in, Gardner plays her carefully back.
47th over: Australia 153-5 (Sutherland 14, Gardner 6) Thanks Jim! Go and tuck yourself in for a few hours. Still resolutely black here in Manchester on the winter solstice – but hot and light in Mumbai where Australia are in a bit of trouble now with the loss of Healy. Gardner flicks Rana away for four.
WICKET! Alyssa Healy b Sharma 38 (Australia 143-5)
James Wallace
That was indeed the ellipsis of doom as Healy is skittled by a mullygrubber! She got down to sweep and missed the ball, understandably, as it shot along at shin height. Huge wicket to India, the scales tilt towards the home side on day one.
Ash Gardner is the new batter, she gets off the mark with an edge through backward point and Sutherland sweeps succesfully for four to close out the over.
That’s me done for the day, nothing like a bit of drama to add some frisson to the handover. Here’s Tanya Aldred to take you through what already feels like a key part of the game.
46th over: Australia 148-5, (Sutherland 14, Gardner 1)
45th over: Australia 143-4, (Healy 37, Sutherland 11) A single to Healy closes out another quiet over…
44th over: Australia 142-4, (Healy 36, Sutherland 11) A couple more to the total as an email dings in my inbox!
Guy Hornsby as a I live and breathe.
“Morning Jim. This is already a cracking contest, and (sadly) you can see the distances between England last week and this Australian side. They have so much class and poise, where I think we just needed a bit more composure last week. But this is also a wicket or two away from India really being on top. And Healy is such class, she’s the key one. That DRS call was a huge moment. Isn’t Test cricket the best?”
No arguments with any of this from me, Guy.
43rd over: Australia 140-4, (Healy 36, Sutherland 10) A maiden but with some drama as Healy is given out LBW to Gayakwad… but reviews instantly, always a sign that there’s another narrative at play… sure enough there’s a spike on the bat as the ball passes and the inside edge comes to the rescue of Australia’s captain.
42nd over: Australia 140-4, (Healy 36, Sutherland 10) The Aussies eke away, two singles off the over.
We have survived more overs than England in the first innings against India. We have won the moral #Ashes
Yesss!! #INDvAUS
— australian womens cricket with very little context (@awcwvlc) December 21, 2023
HoHoHo
41st over: Australia 138-4, (Healy 35, Sutherland 9) Both sides sizing each other up in the afternoon heat in Mumbai. Gayakwad keeps Healy honest with five dots before the batter managed to glide the final ball of the over away for a couple.
40th over: Australia 136-4, (Healy 33, Sutherland 9) Deepti Sharma comes on as Harmanpreet makes a double change. A drag down is seized upon by Sutherland, speared away wide of cover for a welcome Aussie boundary.
39th over: Australia 131-4, (Healy 32, Sutherland 5) Vastrakar takes a breather as Gayakwad comes back into the attack and stitches together a maiden.
38th over: Australia 131-4, (Healy 32, Sutherland 5) Alyssa Healy breaks the shackles against Rana. Working for two runs before shimmying down the track and bunting over the top for a well struck four.
37th over: Australia 125-4, (Healy 26, Sutherland 5) Vastrakar continues, Healy and Sutherland rotate strike for three singles. My toddler awakes and pads into the front room with a mischievous glint in her eye. This’ll test my multi-tasking skills…
36th over: Australia 122-4, (Healy 24, Sutherland 4) Rana is showing off all her skill, she’s gone for just 16 runs off her 12 overs today and has the wicket of McGrath in her pocket. Sutherland manages to clip for two as Australia slowly build their innings.
35th over: Australia 120-4, (Healy 24, Sutherland 2) Miserly stuff from the home side, just a single off Vastrakar, Sutherland working into a gap and calling Healy through for a well judged run.
Unlike this one from earlier…
Fire up the barbie!
34th over: Australia 119-4, (Healy 24, Sutherland 1) Sutherland is off the mark with a punch off the pads into the leg side.
ICYMI – Lauren Cheatle is making her Test debut for Australia.
What a remarkable story! 😍
Left-arm quick Lauren Cheatle first debuted for the Aussie team seven years ago, before a horrid run of injuries kept her out of contention.
Today Cheats makes her Test debut against India — such a great example of hard work and resilience! #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/pUEpncU0SQ
— ABC SPORT (@abcsport) December 21, 2023
33rd over: Australia 118-4, (Healy 24, Sutherland 0) Bright start for Healy in the afternoon session, she plays a lovely late dab off Vastrakar and gets it wide of point and in the gap for four runs.
15 of the 21 sessions played in women’s Test cricket this year have featured 100+ runs. That is a revolutionary pace of scoring compared with much of the history of the format.#INDvAUS
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) December 21, 2023
32nd over: Australia 114-4, (Healy 20, Sutherland 0) Rana replaces Renuka who gets just the single over spell post lunch. Healy is watchful, shuffling back and flicking to leg for the only run of the over.
31st over: Australia 113-4, (Healy 19, Sutherland 0) Vastrakar – vanquisher of Perry and Mooney in the morning session – is over the wicket with two slips and a gully. She serves up a full bunger to Healy who clips it away for four with ease. A nudge to leg brings a single.
30th over: Australia 108-4, (Healy 14, Sutherland 0) Here come the players for the afternoon session. Sun beating down in Mumbai. Sky inkier than a squid with a weakness for calligraphy here in London.
Healy punches Renuka Singh through cover for four in the first over back, Annabel Sutherland has joined her skipper in the middle.
Lunch – Australia 103-4
India take the morning spoils then with that dramatic prising of Mooney for a patient 40 on the stroke of the interval. Harmanpreet leads her side off in Mumbai with a beaming smile. Can her opposite number Alyssa Healy do the requisite rebuild job with the bat in the afternoon session? Australia have Annabel Sutherland, Ash Gardner and Jess Jonassen to come, between them they’ll need to knuckle down and get their side up to a competitive total (at least 250) in this first innings, especially after winning the toss and getting first use of a decent Wankhede deck.
Time for some early morning sustenance here in London, I’ll be back soon for the afternoon session. Do drop me a line if you are tuning in, I’ll delve into the OBO mailbag with my ‘Full Scandi’ (muesli).
29th over: Australia 103-4, (Healy 9)
WICKET! Beth Mooney c Rana b Vastrakar 40 (Australia 103-4)
Vastrakar removes Mooney with the final ball before lunch! What a moment in this first session – a short ball is speared in and rears up at Mooney who gets a meaty glove on it that loops to Rana in the slips for a simple catch.
28th over: Australia 100-3, (Mooney 38, Healy 8) Hundred up for Australia with a Healy drive into the covers. I’d say the spoils have been shared this morning if there are no more wickets in the few minutes we’ve got til the lunch break.
27th over: Australia 99-3, (Mooney 38, Healy 7) That’ll do! Healy gets off the mark with a SIX lofted down the ground and over the rope at mid on. After facing a dozen dots the Aussie skipper decides enough is enough. A poke to point brings her a single and she’ll keep strike.
26th over: Australia 92-3, (Mooney 38, Healy 0) A maiden from Rana to Mooney who breathes deeply between each delivery, bringing the heart rate back down after that close run thing in the previous over.
25th over: Australia 92-3, (Mooney 38, Healy 0) Drama! Beth Mooney is given out on the field LBW to Deepti, the ball hitting her on the toe… it looks very adjacent in real time but the batter calls for a review. NOT OUT! DRS has the ball sliding just past leg stump and Mooney survives! That’s a big moment, Mooney has a track record of batting long, she’s crucial to Aussie hopes of making a decent first innings total. India cannot believe that ball is missing, hands on heads in the huddle as the verdict came back from the big screen.
24th over: Australia 89-3, (Mooney 39, Healy 0) Dot followed dot followed dot followed dot… Australia becalmed after the loss of McGrath.