Lanning, Raj shake hands as Test ends in a stalemate

India will need to win all three T20s if they are to defeat Australia in this CommBank multi-format series after the one-off Test at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast ended in a stalemate.

Despite their two declarations and a dominant overall showing, India couldn't force a result, and in truth their last-ditch attempt to dismiss Australia inside today's final 32 overs always appeared wildly ambitious.

When the teams shook hands around 50 minutes before the scheduled close, Australia were 2-36 after being set a largely irrelevant target of 272, with the draw leaving the home side 6-4 in front on series points after they took the ODI leg by two wins to one.

As expected, it was Ellyse Perry who held Australia's first innings together when they resumed at 4-143, and she found a strong ally in Ashleigh Gardner through the all-important first hour of the opening session, the pair adding 65 runs at a good clip during that period.

Yet as has been the trend of this match, matters might have been different. From the seventh over of the morning, Gardner had a life on 20 when Pooja Vastrakar dropped a diving chance off her outside edge from Rajeshwari Gayakwad, and three balls later Perry could have easily been given out lbw when ball hit pad before bat.

But the 30-year-old continued unfazed, racking up yet more incredible statistics as she pushed past a fourth-straight half-century in the format and then took ownership of the highest batting average in women's Test history at 86.50 (min 10 innings).

Super fit, and mentally indefatigable, Perry is made for Test match batting, and after Gardner picked out a deepish mid-off from Deepti Sharma to depart for a well-made 51, the experienced allrounder was all that stood between Australia and potential disaster as wickets began to fall more regularly.

In fact, the importance of the 89-run stand between Perry and Gardner was brought into sharp focus when, across the next hour, Australia lost 5-32 to only narrowly move past the follow-on mark of 227.

It was a period in which even Perry seemed to lose focus. Having been stuck on 58 for six overs – during which debutante Annabel Sutherland (3) was caught behind to hand Meghna Singh a maiden Test wicket – the superstar batter benefited from two reprieves in the space of 11 balls.

First a slashing edge was dropped by Deepti at a fine gully, and then on 61, a nick behind was spilled by Taniya Bhatia as she dove forward and to her right. 

In between, 18-year-old Darcie Brown ensured Australia avoided the follow-on when she drove wide of mid-off for four, and a short time later, with Australia 9-241, skipper Meg Lanning waved her troops in.

It wasn't long after the dinner break that India openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana began showing some intent. The two natural stroke-makers got going with shots both attractive and agricultural; Mandhana's lofted cover-drive for four off Sutherland, and Verma's tennis slap through midwicket off Stella Campbell were particular highlights.

After narrowly avoiding a run-out drama when Molineux threw wide from gully, the opening pair brought up their second fifty partnership of the match and fourth from five innings this series.

Despite an improved showing from young quick Brown, who bowled a fuller length and challenged both batters, it was another dominant display from the dashing Indian duo. A big first-wicket stand looked on the cards until Mandhana (31) picked out Gardner at long-on from the spin of Sophie Molineux, the fielder holding a brilliant running catch having earlier spilled a tough chance from the same batter at deep midwicket.

The elevation of Yastika Bhatia appeared an aggressive move from the Indians ahead of a potential declaration later in the evening, but Gardner got one through the left-hander to make it a quick double strike for the hosts, who trailed by 242 at the close of the second session.

After tea, Verma (52) posted her third Test half-century in just her second match, but when she looked to defend a leg break from Georgia Wareham and was struck on the pad, the Aussie debutante was celebrating her first wicket in the format.

Punam Raut, who had scored at a soporific rate in the first innings, upped the ante this time around, maintaining India's run rate at around 3.7, but as the final session wore on, the idea of a declaration seemed less likely and increasingly pointless.

And then, at 3-135, it came.

As Raut (41no) and Deepti (3no) made their way from the field, the Aussies were left needing to survive 32 overs under lights – or score the ambitious 272 they had been set to win.

Admirably, India continued to push, taking two wickets in the first 10 overs of the match's final innings. Jhulan Goswami again got the better of Alyssa Healy (9), who played on from an attempted cut shot, and Beth Mooney (11) top-edged a pull shot to be caught at deep backward square from Pooja Vastrakar,

Fittingly, it was left to captain Lanning (17no) and Perry (1no), the "pink ball master" (as Healy labelled her yesterday) to negotiate Australia to safety, which arrived at the first drinks break, 15 overs into the innings.

It was then that the two teams shook hands, bringing a slightly premature end to a contest that has offered glimpses of what a more regular diet of this format could offer the women's game.

Australia XI: Alyssa Healy (wk), Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning (c), Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Darcie Brown, Stella Campbell

India XI: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Punam Raut, Mithali Raj (c), Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Tania Bhatia (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad

CommBank Series v India

Australia lead India 6-4 on points

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Stella Campbell, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Redmayne, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

India Test and ODI squad: Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur (vc), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh, Ekta Bisht.

India T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Shikha Pandey, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh (wk), Harleen Deol, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh.

First ODI:Australia won by nine wickets

Sep 24: Australia won by five wickets

Sep 26: India won by two wickets

Sep 30 – Oct 3: Match drawn

Oct 7: First T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast

Oct 9: Second T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast

Oct 10: Third T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast