India take full control as Australia toil in Mumbai

India have maintained their stranglehold on the one-off Test in Mumbai despite a middle-session fightback led by Ashleigh Gardner, with the hosts extending their first-innings lead to 157 runs at stumps on day two.

After half-centuries to Smriti Mandhana (74), Jemimah Rodrigues (73) and debutant Richa Ghosh (52) pushed India in front of Australia’s first-innings total of 219 at Wankhede Stadium, Gardner spearheaded a brief fightback that saw India lose 4-14 to be 7-276 at tea, with a lead of 57 runs.

But Australia’s hopes of quickly wrapping up India’s innings were thwarted by No.8 Deepti Sharma and No.9 Pooja Vastrakar.

The pair batted through the final session, consigning the tourists to a full 100-over day in the field, as their unbeaten 102-run eighth-wicket stand saw India to 7-376 at the close of play.

Sharma, batting one spot lower than usual after Sneh Rana was elevated at nightwatch on day one, continued her outstanding red-ball record with the bat when she brought up her fifty from 115 deliveries.

The allrounder has been dismissed for less than fifty runs just once in seven Test innings.

Australia took the second new ball shortly after the tea break but, as had happened a day earlier with the first, their quicks were unable to make inroads.

A return to spin – even Gardner, who put in a massive shift sending down 36 overs across day two, taking four wickets – also failed to find a way through the defences of Sharma and Vastrakar, who will resume on 70 and 33 respectively on Saturday.

After a morning that largely went in the hosts’ favour despite the loss of Mandhana, India steadily chipped away to reduce Australia’s lead to 26 at lunch.

Resuming at 3-193 after the break, the hosts quickly cruised past Australia's 219 and frustration built for the tourists as first Rodrigues brought up her second half-century in as many Tests, and debutant Ghosh, who had been gifted an early life, followed suit.

That annoyance briefly spilled over when captain Alyssa Healy complained to the umpires about non-striker Ghosh standing too close to the path of bowler Tahlia McGrath, after a close-in fielder was placed next to the pitch.

With the game slipping away and India eyeing a big first-innings, Gardner – who delivered a mammoth 26 overs during the first two sessions – kept plugging away and was eventually rewarded, taking three wickets and a catch as the hosts lost 4-14 in the second half of the session.

Ghosh’s outstanding knock ended on 52 when she was caught by Gardner off Kim Garth at deep backward square leg.

Gardner then removed India captain Harmanpreet Kaur (0) and wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia (1) both lbw in consecutive deliveries with balls that kept low.

Both batters reviewed the decisions – Kaur was visibly frustrated by an extremely close umpire’s call, while India lost a review when Bhatia was confirmed to be clearly out.

Gardner’s next big blow removed Rodrigues, who had battled brilliantly but whose hopes of a maiden Test ton were dashed when she hit a sharp catch to Annabel Sutherland at cover on 73 shortly before tea, leaving India 7-276 at tea, leading by 57 runs.

The morning was a frustrating one for the Australians, as nightwatch Rana dug in alongside Mandhana.

The left-handed opener resumed on 43 and wasted little time bringing up a half-century, while Rana took on the responsibility of facing as many deliveries from Gardner – who has a knack for picking up Mandhana’s wicket – as possible to protect her partner.

Rana’s 57-ball vigil finally ended when she was bowled on nine by a ball from Gardner that beat the outside edge and crashed into her stumps, bringing debutant Ghosh to the crease.

No member of the Australian attack had managed to make Mandhana look uncomfortable during her 106-ball innings, and it took an error on the left-hander’s part – and a sharp throw from Garth – to end her innings.

Slightly slow to take off after being called through for a single by Ghosh, Mandhana was caught centimetres short of safely and had to walk back to the pavilion for 74.

The tourists should have had a fourth wicket shortly after, when Ellyse Perry dropped a simple chance that would have sent Ghosh on her way on 14 – an uncharacteristic mistake that summed up a largely frustrating morning in the field as India closed the margin to 26 runs at the main break.

Australia's CommBank Tour of India

December 21-24: Test match, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

December 28: First ODI, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

December 30: Second ODI, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

January 2: Third ODI, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

January 5: First T20I, DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai

January 7: Second T20I, DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai

January 9: Third T20I, DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Lauren Cheatle (Test only), Heather Graham, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris (T20s only), Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

India Test squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Sneh Rana, Shubha Satheesh, Harleen Deol, Saika Ishaque, Renuka Singh Thakur, Titas Sadhu, Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar