PERTH, Australia – In a dramatic start to the one-off pink ball Test at WACA, the Indian women’s cricket team crumbled to 198 all out in their first innings against a fired-up Australian side. All-rounder Annabel Sutherland stole the show with a masterful four-wicket spell, dismantling the top order on a bouncy pitch.
Australian captain Alyssa Healy won the toss and astutely inserted India to bat first under the lights. The decision paid immediate dividends as opener Smriti Mandhana fell for a duck-like 4 runs, setting a shaky tone. Prathika Raval fought briefly, smashing three boundaries en route to 18, before Sutherland struck again.
Shefali Verma promised much with a fluent start but departed for 35, unable to capitalize. Enter Jemimah Rodrigues, who anchored the innings with a gritty 52 off 84 balls, featuring seven crisp boundaries. Her resolute knock was the lone bright spot amid a procession of wickets.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur managed only 19, while Deepti Sharma’s 7-run stay offered little resistance. Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh faced 41 balls for 11, Sneha Rana scored 5, and Kranti Gaud added just 1. Kasvi Gautam provided some late defiance with an unbeaten 34 off 54 deliveries, but it wasn’t enough to push past 200.
Sutherland’s figures of 4/46 from 17 overs were complemented by Lucy Hamilton’s 3/31 and Darcy Brown’s 2 wickets. Ashley Gardner chipped in with one scalp. India’s middle-order collapse on the seaming WACA surface exposed vulnerabilities, handing Australia a strong platform as they begin their reply under the floodlights.