India vs Australia one-off Test: Teamwork makes the dream work in Harmanpreet Kaur and Co’s fortnight to remember

It was the 71st over in Australia’s 2nd innings when they were in the middle of another strong partnership. Wickets were not coming by as frequently as India would have wanted but Rajeshwari Gayakwad was bowling a miserly spell. She had constantly troubled the outside edge of the Aussie batters, and off the last ball of that over, got one to spin past Alyssa Healy’s defence. It was another brilliant delivery without the desired result. As she looked up to the skies with a wry smile, Richa Ghosh gave her senior pro a long hug between overs, one that translated into: ‘We see what you are doing Raja di, keep at it.’

And so, after going wicketless in her 27 overs on Day 3, Gayakwad struck in her first over on Sunday with what could well be the ball of the match. She angled one into the pads of Kim Garth, but got it to turn away and hit the off-stump. In her next over, Gayakwad brought one back from well outside the off-stump of left-handed Jess Jonassen and sneaked it through her defence.

Australia were bowled out, and in the next couple of hours, India chased down the target of 75 for a famous win at the Wankhede Stadium. For the first time in women’s Test cricket, and after 10 matches spanning more than four decades, India defeated Australia, to back up their record-breaking win against England last week in Navi Mumbai.

Back-to-back Test wins for @BCCIWomen! 🏏 They yearned for the purest form, and they conquered it with brilliance. Kudos to @ImHarmanpreet, @mandhana_smriti, @amolmuzumdar11, and our phenomenal girls, backed by the incredible support staff. History made today! 🇮🇳#INDvsAus… pic.twitter.com/gFMp6QVxop

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) December 24, 2023

Gayakwad was steady throughout these two Tests without really lighting up the stage, but her relentlessness on Saturday was rewarded in the final act. Her two wickets on Day 4 personified this Indian team’s ability to find different players for different moments over the last two weeks.

Newcomers deliver

In the three batting debutants, India found solutions to various problems. Shubha Satheesh’s left-field selection and promotion to No.3 saw her score a half-century at a brisk pace to push England on the backfoot. Jemimah Rodrigues took to Test cricket like a duck to water as she scored two half-centuries in two Tests. Richa Ghosh came into the side in Mumbai and played a handy knock of 50 in tandem with Rodrigues.

The bowling debutant in Renuka Singh Thakur went wicketless against Australia, but against England, struck the first blows in each innings. Her pace-bowling partner Pooja Vastrakar was a revelation over the two Tests. Her skills were never in doubt, but she added consistent output, picking up some big wickets in Nat Sciver-Brunt, Heather Knight, Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner. The yorker that got Gardner early on Sunday was the perfect start as it ensured there would be no counterattack to push India back.

In Yastika Bhatia, India had their constant source of energy from behind the stumps. Not for one over during the draining third day did she let her encouragement levels drop. Of course, tangibly, she got better with the gloves as the games went on and even improved her DRS suggestions after struggling against England. With the bat too, she was part of a crucial partnership in Navi Mumbai and scored a half-century.

Wins like these ☺️

Fans like these 👏

Moments like these 🙌#TeamIndia | #INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/KJHslHv8Ud

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 24, 2023

Captain’s game-changing spell

Among the senior pros, captain Harmanpreet Kaur had scores of 40-plus in both outings against England, and even sacrificed a personal milestone in the second innings when she declared to put England under pressure early on Day 3. Against Australia, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say her two wickets in the final session on Saturday – those of Tahlia McGrath and Alyssa Healy – changed the course decisively in India’s favour. Sneh Rana called it the turning point of the match.

Her deputy Smriti Mandhana missed out against England, but stepped up against Australia with knocks of 74 & 38*, dancing down the track to hit the winning runs in style. Perhaps Shafali Verma would have expected more from herself, but her knock of 40 in the final session of Day 1 against Australia was a little game-turning gem. Healy mentioned repeatedly in her post-match analysis that conceding 90-odd in the final session that day was a setback they never quite recovered from.

Mumbai: India-Women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Australia Women’s Tahlia McGrath on the third day of the one-off Test cricket match between India Women and Australia Women, at the Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai, Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023. (PTI Photo/Shashank Parade)

Finally, the two off-spinners. Deepti Sharma and Rana – who won the Player of the Match awards – showed their quality with the ball across the two Tests. Sharma’s all-round skills came to the fore against England, and she played yet another crucial knock against Australia when India were under the pump.

Very few in this Indian set-up suit the adjective ‘plucky’ better than Rana. Her Test debut was one to remember in England as she scored a magnificent rearguard 80* to help India, who were following on and staring at a defeat, to save the match in Bristol. She has produced gritty white-ball performances in the infrequent opportunities she gets.

𝙃𝙄𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔 𝙄𝙉 𝙈𝙐𝙈𝘽𝘼𝙄! 🙌#TeamIndia women register their first win against Australia in Test Cricket 👏👏

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/7o69J2XRwi#INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/R1GKeuRa69

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 24, 2023

Now, over these two Tests – despite that lack of luck that seems to follow her sometimes in the form of dropped catches – Rana delivered crucial breakthroughs right through. Be it a peach to dismiss Sciver-Brunt in Navi Mumbai or the four-for in the second innings against Australia.

From the opponents’ camp, it is the bowling of India’s spinners that Healy felt was the most striking factor in India’s win. “Their relentlessness with the ball was probably what stood out the most,” the captain said. “Batting-wise, they have grown up playing in these conditions and have shots that we haven’t grown up playing. But their bowling, the three spinners worked really well together. And made life hard for us, at times we felt like we weren’t scoring enough and the game was stagnating, we couldn’t throw a punch.”

From the newcomers to the veterans, India found contributions from all 12 cricketers who donned the whites to play these two Tests. There is no more long-format cricket on the horizon for them over the next year. But given this rare opportunity, they made it count, made it memorable, and did so with a truly collective effort.

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