India seal historic maiden victory over Australia

India have created history at Wankhede Stadium, clinching their first-ever Test victory over Australia by eight wickets shortly after lunch on the fourth and final day.

The hosts needed just 75 runs to secure a second Test win in as many weeks after rattling through Australia’s lower order early on Sunday morning, with the tourists collapsing to lose 5-28.

Quick Pooja Vastrakar and spinners Sneh Rana and Rajeshwari Gayakwad did the damage to bowl the Australians out for 261.

Kim Garth got an early breakthrough when opener Shafali Verma was caught behind on four, but Richa Ghosh was gifted a life on naught when Beth Mooney grassed a chance at slip off Ashleigh Gardner and Smriti Mandhana pounced on any width offered by the Australian quick.

Healy switched to spin from both ends after lunch when India were 1-29 needing just 46 runs, and while Richa Ghosh holed out on 13 looking to hit Gardner out of the ground, Mandhana (38no) iced victory with a glorious straight drive to secure her team’s place in the history books.

India’s victory is their first over Australia in Tests following four defeats and 10 draws since they first met in the longest format in 1977.

It was also Australia’s first loss in the format since their Ashes defeat to England at the WACA Ground in January 14 – although it is worth noting they only played six Tests across that period.

Alyssa Healy’s team were left to rue their below-par first innings of 219 all out after winning the toss and electing to bat at Wankhede, while India were superb in securing a second Test victory in the space of two weeks, following their mammoth 347-run win over England.

Having scrapped their way back into the game on Saturday, erasing India’s 187-run first-innings lead, Australia were in a position to set a much larger total late on day three at 3-206, but two wickets to India captain Harmanpreet Kaur before stumps, followed by Sunday’s collapse, left them needing a Christmas miracle.

Resuming at 5-233, Australia added just 28 runs to their overnight total as India took 75 minutes to claim the five wickets they required.

A frantic first couple of overs saw the Decision Review System deployed three times in three overs before Australia had scored a run.

First, Gardner trapped plumb lbw by Vastrakar in-swinger in the second over of the day.

The on-field umpire was unmoved by the quick’s appeal, but wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia insisted on a review and was vindicated when ball tracking confirmed the allrounder was out on seven.

India went upstairs again in the same over when an lbw shout against new batter Jess Jonassen was overturned, but were denied.

Annabel Sutherland was then given out – again leg before – on 12 to Renuka Thakur in the following over, but she was successful in overturning the decision.

She then provided a brief counterattack, adding 15 much-needed runs to the Australian total, but was forced to return to the dressing room on 27 when the DRS again intervened on in incorrect decision.

Sneh Rana’s appeal for caught behind was turned down after a Sutherland attempted sweep saw the ball balloon up to the ‘keeper, but replays confirmed it had come off her glove.

The off-spinner had a second a ball later when Alana King played the ball onto her stumps and while Garth saw off the hat-trick delivery, it was only a matter of time for the Australian tail with India on the charge.

Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, bowling from the Tata end that was offering considerable assistance for the spinners, bowled first Garth (4) and then Jonassen (9) in consecutive overs to end Australia’s innings on 261.

The Aussies will have a day off to celebrate Christmas Day with a collection of family members who have made the journey over to India, before commencing their preparations for the three-game ODI series on Boxing Day.

Australia's CommBank Tour of India

December 21-24, Only Test: India win by eight wickets

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