The Indian women’s cricket team secured a historic victory against Australia as the two teams squared off in a Test match. Tempers flared in the high-profile encounter, with India skipper also engaging in an on-field tussle with her counterpart Healy. Yet, as the game concluded, Healy showed her excellent sporting character as she picked up the camera to click a picture of the Indian team on this historic occasion. The Australia skipper was also duly lauded on the social media for her gesture.
India secured a victory by 8 wickets after being given a target of just 75 runs to chase in the second innings. Heading into the Test assignment after having already beaten England in a similar one-off Test, India didn’t take their foot off the gas as Harmanpreet’s side steamrolled Australia.
As the internet world lauded the Indian team, there were those too who hailed Healy for her sporting gesture.
Australia captain Healy, despite the defeat, called for more such Test matches to be scheduled.
“At the end of the day, (it was) a really enjoyable experience,” Healy told reporters after the game. “It was tough work. We knew it was going to be hard work coming over here in particular playing a one-off Test, there’s no real time to learn to adapt, to find a style of play, so we knew it was going to be a tough ask but I’m really proud of our group and the fight that we showed.”
On the final day, India produced their best both with the ball and bat to thwart a spirited Australian resurgence, first sparking a collapse in the visitors’ ranks to snaffle the remaining five wickets for 28 and then knocking off a meagre target of 75 without much ado to script an eight-wicket win.
Smriti Mandhana (38 not out) and Jemimah Rodrigues (12 not out) embraced each other in a warm hug when the objective of beating a world-dominating side was accomplished, bringing back memories of India’s shushed reaction in 2008 in Australia when MS Dhoni‘s side beat the hosts and made a statement by not indulging in any passionate celebrations.
Playing more than one Test at home for the first time since 1995, there was hardly a moment when the team put a foot wrong.
India Women’s stuck to the promise of playing ‘positive cricket’, weathered all mini storms along the way and largely dictated terms against fancied opponents in Australia and England.
With PTI inputs
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