At the opening of the one-off Test between India and Australia on Thursday, December 21, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Team India bowler Pooja Vastrakar gave the hosts just the start they desired.
At the Wankhede, seam bowlers are given movement early on, and Vastrakar took full advantage of this by pitching the ball in the appropriate places and forcing Perry to bat first. That created a large space between her bat and pad, and the ball nipped back off the seam, rattling her stumps.
Ellyse Perry was left with little choice but to stutter back in recognition that she had been dealt a real whopper. Pooja Vastrakar was overjoyed and surrounded by her teammates upon realizing the magnitude of the wicket.
Here is the dismissal of Ellyse Perry off Pooja Vastrakar:
𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦!
Run-out ✅
Timber strike ✅How about that for a start from #TeamIndia 👏 👏
Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/8qTsM8XSpd #INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/lwYbEhklbj
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) December 21, 2023
Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath steadied the ship vs India
After winning the toss, Australian captain Alyssa Healy had no trouble batting first. But the visitors had the worst possible start as the debutant was run out without facing a delivery due to a miscommunication between Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield.
The hosts would have been more confident after taking Perry’s wicket shortly after that they might exploit Australia’s strong batting lineup. But Tahlia McGrath arrived with an optimistic attitude and received a barrage of boundaries to send the guests on their way.
Mooney’s confidence has steadily increased as well, and the alliance is beginning to seem concerning for India. They will be sorry for the missed opportunities to send McGrath back and for not taking advantage of Mooney’s DRS when the replays indicated three reds. To make sure the Australians don’t win the game outright, the hosts must continue to chip away at wickets.
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