Healy’s comet: Captain leads Oz to record win vs India

Mandhana’s 80-run knock goes in vain as Australia complete highest run chase in Women’s ODIs to hand hosts second consecutive defeat

- GOMESH S @ Visakhapatnam

IT was the beginning of the 43rd over during India’s innings at the ACA-VDCA Stadium here.

The Women in Blue were on a rampage of sorts, racing to 287/5 in 42 overs. They had seen Smriti Mandhana lay the foundation, break records, become the first woman cricketer to score a 1000 ODI runs in a calendar year before eventually getting out for 80 runs from 66 balls.

Along with Pratika Rawal, who also went on to score a fifty (75 off 96 balls), she added 155 runs for the first wicket. Once the openers fell, the middle-order had kept the momentum going with Richa Ghosh getting promoted to No 6. Jemimah Rodrigues and Ghosh looked comfortable in the middle. Desperate to put the brakes, Australia turned to their best pacer in this World Cup — Annabel Sutherland.

Sutherland had already taken the wicket of Rawal with a short ball and was now up against Rodrigues and Ghosh. She started with a short ball to both and conceded seven runs in the first four balls.