Harmanpreet Kaur’s Team India scripted history on Sunday, registering their first-ever win against Australia in Test cricket. Set a target of 75, the hosts chased down the runs in just under 19 overs and 8 wickets remaining.
Playing more than one Test at home for the first time since 1995, there was hardly a moment when the team put a foot wrong. India produced their A game on the final day of the Test to thwart a spirited Australian resurgence. The visitors could add only 28 runs to their overnight score. Spinners Sneh Rana and Rajeshwari Gayakwad ran through the Australian lower order, bundling them out for 261.
Indian captain Harmanpreet said it’s the result of their hard work that they were able to succeed against the mighty Aussies.
“It’s a reward for all the hard work we have done for so many years. Credit goes to all our support staff, especially our bowling coach and batting coach. We tried to keep things very simple. It’s a reward for all the hard work and all the patience. We thought if we can play some positive cricket, it can really help us,” said Harmanpreet at the post-match show.
Excellent bowling show
Harmanpreet & Co showcased a commendable bowling performance as they picked up all the 20 Australian wickets. Rana returned 7 for 119 across innings while Pooja Vastrakar got 5 for 93. Even the skipper chipped in with her golden arm and bagged the prized wickets of Tahlia McGrath and captain Alyssa Healy in the second innings.
The Indian captain was happy to see that the girls trusted in each other and the outcome of the teamwork was historical.
“We showed trust in our bowling unit and our support staff asked me to bowl and I got those crucial wickets at that time. Everyone in the team contributed, everyone was there to win the game for the team. Our bowling coach is telling them about how to take wickets and not be defensive. That’s really helping us,” she added.
While India scripted the biggest win for any team by a margin of runs against England last week, their first-ever triumph over Australia in 11 Tests now has ensured more entries in the column of ‘matches won’ compared to ‘matches lost’. In 40 Tests, India now have seven wins and six defeats, while 27 have been drawn.
Comments
0 comment