Australia, India's one-off pink ball Test ends in a hard-fought draw

SCORECARD

Chasing 272 runs in the final session of the final day, Australia negotiated a draw despite losing two early wickets. India held command in the majority of the Test but that wasn't enough to force a result as rain on the first two days significantly reduced the number of overs bowled. Smriti Mandhana with her maiden Test ton was awarded the Player of the Match.

On the final day, Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner initiated the proceedings of what unfolded to be an exciting Test finish. The pair assimilated 89 runs for the fifth wicket partnership with both going past fifty.

Gardner was first to fall with Deepti Sharma striking after Mithali Raj completed a low catch at mid-off. With the new ball now in hand, Meghna Singh struck with Annabel Sutherland's wicket who went back for 3.

Meghna got India another breakthrough with Sophie Molineux dismissed leg-before wicket for two. India's barrage with the new ball prolonged as Georgia Wareham got out to Pooja Vastrakar as Australia continued to slip in their first innings.

The hosts trailing behind by 136 runs and a wicket in hand decided to declare their innings to make the fourth day even more rousing while Perry was still standing strong on 68* off 203 balls. Her knock comes at the back of a string of wonderful performances with the scores of 213*, 116, 76* and now 68* in the last three Tests making Perry's average of 86.50 the highest ever in women's Tests for any player with a minimum of 10 innings.

The visitors got off to a flier with Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana stitching yet another half-century opening stand. However, Sophie Molineux snared Mandhana's (31) wicket in her first over after Gardner pulled off a magnificent catch at deep midwicket.

Gardner while bowling then clobbered Yastika Bhatia's stumps for three, reducing India to 74/2 in 20.3 overs. Punam Raut's quick-fire 41 off 61 deliveries took India's total to 135/3 and the lead past 271 runs before they declared.

Australia's reply in the fourth innings saw a couple of hiccups early with Jhulan Goswami sending Alyssa Healy packing for 6 while Pooja Vastrakar snared Beth Mooney's wicket for 11.

Meg Lanning (17*) and Ellyse Perry (1*) stayed on the crease when the two sides mutually decided to call it a draw with time running out and a win for either side out of the equation.