Pink-ball Test: Smriti Mandhana 127 helps India women dominate Australia on Day 2 before rain plays spoilsport

Smriti Mandhana’s maiden Test hundred helped India reach reach a position of strength on Day 2 before rain forced the umpires to call off play early yet again in the Pink-ball Test at Carrara on Friday. Smriti Mandhana’s knock of 127 was laced with a staggeing 22 fours and a six (Courtesy of BCCI Women)HIGHLIGHTSIndia reached 276 for 5 in 101.5 overs before rain forced early stumps on Day 2Smriti Mandhana top-scored with 127 while Punam Raut (36) and Shafali Verma (31) also made useful contributionsSophie Molineux took 2 for 28 for Australia while Ashleigh Gardner and Ellyse Perry bagged one wicket eachRain played spoilsport yet again at the Carrara Oval on Day 2 as play had to be called off early due to the weather in the Pink-ball Test between Australia and India in Gold Coast on Friday.

Smriti Mandhana’s record-breaking hundred helped India dominate the Aussies and reach 276 for 5 in 101.5 overs before the players went off the field at the onset of the thunderstorm. Two hours and 20 minutes later the match officials decided to call off play for the rest of the day.Deepti Sharma and Taniya Bhatia will resume India’s first innings half-an-hour early on Day 3. Just 44 overs were bowled on the first day while the second day saw 57.5 overs being bowled by the Aussies.The day belonged once again to opener Mandhana, who brought up her maiden Test hundred and became the first Indian woman to achieve the feat in their maiden Day-Night Test. She is also the first Indian woman to score a Test century in Australia.Mandhana ended up with 127 from 216 balls with 22 fours and a six to end up with the highest individual score for India in a Test match on Australian soil. She now holds this record in all three formats for India in Australia.Apart from Mandhana’s century, India’s No.3 Punam Raut also raised a few eyebrows on Day 2 after she decided to walk off despite being given not out by the on-field umpire.Punam Raut walked despite being given not out after she got a faint edge on a delivery from off-spinner Sophie Molineux which was caught by the Australia wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy. India were in a position of strength at 217 for 2 when Punam decided to walk on 36, drawing mixed responses from the cricketing fraternity.There is no DRS (Decision Review System) available for this Test match so Punam could have carried on had she not walked off.Sophie Molineux, who is playing only her second Test for Australia after making her debut in the format in 2019, took 2 wickets for 28 runs from 14 overs while Ashleigh Gardner and Ellyse Perry have bagged one wicket each so far for the hosts.Click here for our site’s complete coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.