Women's Test: Sutherland's century leads Australia toward victory over India
What's the story
Annabel Sutherland scored her fourth Test century, leading Australia toward an impending victory over India in the one-off pink-ball Test. On a difficult pitch, Sutherland made batting look easy with a commanding 129 off 171 balls in Australia's first innings. Her performance was instrumental in grinding down India's attack amid sweltering heat hitting 40 degrees Celsius. Australia scored 323 after India's 198. At stumps on Day 2, the visitors are 105/6.
Record-breaking feat
Sutherland's incredible average and partnership with Perry
Sutherland's Test cricket average now stands at an incredible 89.37 after just 10 innings. She has scored four centuries, the most by an Australian in this format. Australia's first innings was dominated by Sutherland and Ellyse Perry, who put together a 128-run fourth-wicket partnership. Perry, batting as a specialist after recovering from a quad strain, scored 76 off 116 balls and became Australia's all-time leading run-scorer in Test cricket history.
Bowling brilliance
Australia's bowling attack shines in India's 2nd innings
In India's second innings, Darcie Brown struck early, dismissing Smriti Mandhana on the second ball. Left-arm pacer Lucy Hamilton continued her impressive debut by sending Shafali Verma packing. However, Jemimah Rodrigues came out aggressively but fell after attempting a ramp shot. Hamilton was keen to finish things off after getting rid of Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh in quick succession.
Match dynamics
Australia capitalize on easier batting conditions
Australia started the day at 96/3 and looked set for a big score after Sutherland and Perry's partnership. They took advantage of the easier batting conditions under the sun as India's new pace attack failed to replicate their first-day success. Perry reached her half-century in style with a six off Rana while Sutherland was equally aggressive, hitting a glorious straight drive to the boundary.
Catching concerns
Mooney and Sutherland's partnership helps Australia gain 1st-innings lead
India's catching has been largely brilliant, except for Rana dropping a simple catch at slip off Beth Mooney's second ball. Despite the hiccup, Mooney supported Sutherland in a crucial 56-run partnership that gave Australia a first-innings lead. Sutherland reached her century in an awkward manner after top-edging one to the boundary, much to the delight of her father James Sutherland who was present at the ground.
Sayali
Sayali Satghare claims four-fer versus AUS-W in D/N Test
Satghare's debut in the pink-ball Test was an ideal start to the longest format of cricket. She took just seven deliveries to make an impact. She dismissed Georgia Voll with an inswinger that pitched outside off-stump before swinging back into the right-hander's pads and hitting leg stump. She didn't stop at just one wicket and went on to take her second scalp, that of Alyssa Healy, in the 20th over. The remaining of her two wickets came on Day 2.