Hobart, February 27 – Half-centuries from captain Harmanpreet Kaur and opener Pratika Rawal helped India reach 251/9 in their 50 overs against Australia in the second ODI of the women's multi-format series at the Bellerive Oval on Friday. However, the total may prove to be below par on a surface that offered little assistance to the bowlers.
While Harmanpreet top-scored with 54 off 70 balls, Pratika made 52 off 81 deliveries. For Australia, Annabel Sutherland, Alana King, and Ashleigh Gardner each took two wickets, while keeping the scoring rate firmly under control and preventing India's batters from fully dominating.
The innings followed a familiar pattern of promise and frustration for India – Pratika and Smriti Mandhana laid a solid foundation by scoring 78 runs in the first 16 overs before the middle order faltered. A late flourish of 73 runs off the final 10 overs, largely driven by Harmanpreet's composed fifty and a blistering cameo from debutant Vaishnavi Sharma, helped India cross the 250-mark.
Electing to bat first, Pratika and Smriti were aggressive with their boundaries in the first five overs. Although the last five overs of the powerplay didn't produce any boundaries, India ensured that it was the fifth instance in the last seven meetings that Australia failed to take a wicket in the mandatory powerplay.
Smriti never looked settled at the crease and was even dropped thrice. However, she was dismissed for 31 after missing a paddle off Ashleigh Gardner and seeing her stumps being shattered, bringing to an end her 16th fifty-plus stand with Pratika in ODIs.
After Jemimah Rodrigues edged behind off Annabel, Pratika Rawal looked composed to bring up a well-crafted half-century off 76 balls before being run out in a mix-up with Harmanpreet at the striker's end.
This proved to be a pivotal moment as Australia clawed back – Amanjot Kaur nicked behind off Nicola Carey, Deepti Sharma holed out to deep mid-wicket, and Richa Ghosh was trapped lbw by Alana, leaving Harmanpreet to carry the innings almost single-handedly. She found good support in bringing India's innings on track via a 55-run stand with Kashvee Gautam, who made 25 off 34 balls, before being dismissed by Ashleigh.
The India captain rose to the occasion to bring up her half-century off 66 balls before falling for 54 off 70 deliveries, caught by cover-point off Megan Schutt with just one over remaining. After Kranti Gaud hit a handy 19, debutant Vaishnavi Sharma then provided the late impetus India needed by launching a series of two boundaries in the final over to lift the total past 250.
Brief Scores: India 251/9 in 50 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 54, Pratika Rawal 52; Ashleigh Gardner 2-39, Alana King 2-41) against Australia
