Australia beat India by six wickets: ICC Women’s World Cup – as it happened

Australia stay top of the World Cup table with five wins from five starts, ahead of South Africa who they will play on Tuesday before finishing off with Bangladesh. India also play Bangladesh and South Africa in their remaining pool matches, and are sitting in fourth spot hovering above the drop. They will need to win both those matches to qualify for the semi-finals.

That’s it from us today, thanks for your company.

50th over: Australia 280-4 (Mooney 30, McGrath 0) Beth Mooney is ice cold. Ice cold. This is exactly like her big chase against India in Queensland last September. First ball of the over, advances at Goswami and plonks her over wide long-on for four! Exactly the spot she hits so often when she needs a boundary. A straight length ball from Goswami exactly the ticket. Then Mooney goes through point, drawing a fumble from the fielder thanks to the pressure of Mooney’s pace between the wickets. Two runs. And she finishes it off with a straight hit down the ground for four. What a star.

49th over: Australia 270-4 (Mooney 20, McGrath 0) One ball to come in the over as Tahlia McGrath walks out. Meghna Singh bowls a wide, very wide of off stump, but McGrath is so fixated on looking to score that she throws bat at it, having walked across. She hits it straight to backward point along the ground. Dot ball. Australia need 8 from the last over.

48th over: Australia 267-3 (Lanning 96, Mooney 18) Lanning thinking about a century perhaps, swishes at Goswami and misses wide of off. Gets the next one, square of the sweeper behind point and they get back for a second run. Goswami persists with that line, and the two backward points are in business. Once they block Lannings shot, twice, three times! Last ball she drives to cover and there’s no run. So she loses the strike, can’t get the ton, and Australia now need 11 from 12. The game matters much more than someone’s milestone, so expect to see Mooney go for it.

47th over: Australia 265-3 (Lanning 94, Mooney 18) Meghna Singh returns with two overs of her allotment left. Been expensive, 57 from eight overs so far. Adds to that with a couple of singles and then a Mooney carve backward of point. Lanning gets strike, then sprints to keep it from the last ball, tapped to cover.

46th over: Australia 257-3 (Lanning 92, Mooney 12) Jhulan Goswami has three overs left and will start that sequence now. Starts with a Lanning run behind point. Brings in a wide slip for the left-hander, but Mooney just taps and runs a single to mid-off. Lanning back-cuts a good line to the deep third sweeper. Bottom-handed whack from Mooney finds mid-on. Late cut for one. Then Lanning picks the gap! Just like last time. The singles, the singles, then Australia’s captain sizes up the gap, gets just enough width, and places it behind point, too square for deep third, too fine for deep cover.

21 from 24.

45th over: Australia 249-3 (Lanning 86, Mooney 10) Crashed by Mooney! Advances at Gayakwad and flat-bats the spinner through midwicket. Takes a fast two followed by a single. Lanning drives a run to deep cover to keep the strike, and Gayakwad finishes with 0 for 48 from her ten overs. Vastrakar took 2 for 43.

29 from 30.

44th over: Australia 241-3 (Lanning 85, Mooney 3) Vastrakar to bowl her last over, and Lanning glides a run to deep third as she has so many times in her long career. Mooney advances and tries to find the boundary through wide long on, but can only get one. Lanning leans back to cut, and there is the sweeper once again. Mooney drops and runs to point. And finally the one to pierce the field comes. Enough width for Lanning to throw her hands through it, her scything square drive, behind point this time for four. Australia need 37 from 36.

43rd over: Australia 233-3 (Lanning 79, Mooney 1) Gayakwad turns one past the edge for the third time today, though this time Lanning plays the line and isn’t at much risk of nicking. Anchored to the crease, she can only dig out the next couple, then Mooney calls her through for a sharp single. Mooney can’t beat the field, and that makes the equation 45 from 42 balls.

42nd over: Australia 232-3 (Lanning 78, Mooney 1) Australia aren’t fazed. Beth Mooney gets off strike first ball she faces. Lanning pulls a half-hearted half-tracker for four, then takes a run to keep the strike. That leaves 46 to win.

We’ll be back on in a few minutes.

While we’re waiting, it’s a good time to make some observations about the Lanning-Perry partnership in broader terms. Today they went past 2000 runs together, currently on 2024.

There are only five more prolific pairings in women’s ODI cricket. Charlotte Edwards and Claire Taylor, Lizelle Lee and Laura Wolvaardt, Suzie Bates and Amy Satterthwaite, Deandra Dottin and Stafanie Taylor, and Belinda Clark and Lisa Keightley.

Most of those are within 500 runs ahead of the Australian pair, except for Clark and Keightley on 3339.

Lanning and Perry have batted together 27 times. The other pairings have batted together respectively 58, 51, 52, 59, and 67 times.

Lanning and Perry average 101.50 right at the moment. The next best of those above them is 52.17.

They only put down the pitch cover, not the whole square, and now they’re taking that cover off.

41st over: Australia 225-2 (Lanning 73, Perry 28) A concussion protocol delay after Perry misses a sweep and pops it up into the grille of her helmet, but she’s fine. The second ball in a row that she was beaten by Gayakwad, who had previously scooted a ball past an attempted cut shot. Only a scampered single from the over. Australia need 53 from 54.

40th over: Australia 224-2 (Lanning 73, Perry 27) Vastrakar has been the standout for India today, batted well and has bowled with heart. Only two singles for her over as she tries to clamp down, but Australia still only need 54 from 60.

39th over: Australia 222-2 (Lanning 72, Perry 26) Sprinting from Perry to start the over, who hits Goswami through point and hares back for the second. The Australians have picked on Harmanpreet in the field all night, taking on her arm. Perry ends the over by nailing a straight drive along the ground that is so well hit that it bursts through the fingertips of mid-on and is barely diverted on its way to the boundary.

38th over: Australia 211-2 (Lanning 69, Perry 19) Perry goes in the air, short of the deep midwicket rushing in. One run. More for Lanning, flicking Rana through fine leg for four, improvising that shot against a decent enough delivery. 67 to win.

37th over: Australia 204-2 (Lanning 64, Perry 17) Good length from Goswami, who has Perry almost feathering a catch behind from a hard-handed drive. India try to crowd Lanning with two backward points, while Goswami bowls outside off stump encouraging Lanning to hit there. 74 to win.

36th over: Australia 201-2 (Lanning 62, Perry 16) For a lot of teams, 81 from 90 balls would be a challenging end to a chase. For these Australians it feels like a foregone conclusion. The pitch is good for batting, some pace and bounce in it, and India have not been able to tighten the snare for any meaningful period of time. Four runs from the Rana over, Australia’s score passes 200.

35th over: Australia 197-2 (Lanning 59, Perry 15) Goswami bowls a Test match line, Lanning throws a one-day shot at it, and gets a safe edge through an empty slip area for four. 81 runs to go.

33rd over: Australia 185-2 (Lanning 49, Perry 13) Goswami comes back on for a tentative bowl: hasn’t done so since three early overs and an ankle problem. The Australians respectfully take a couple of singles.

32nd over: Australia 183-2 (Lanning 48, Perry 12) Meghna Singh has had a bad night. Short and wide again, crashed through point for four. Then draws an error from a short ball but the top edge goes fine for another boundary. Lanning draws near to a fifty.

31st over: Australia 171-2 (Lanning 39, Perry 10) Time for Lanning to have a crack, she decides, with a big slog sweep over backward square leg for four. Shafali Verma in the deep almost gets around to catch that, but not quite. The singles keep coming either side of that shot.

30th over: Australia 164-2 (Lanning 34, Perry 8) Another controlled over from Gayakwad after the break, two singles from it. The required rate is out to 5.7 now and the actual rate has dipped below that. Easy for Australia to make up the gap, of course, but it does at least show that the scoring has slowed. If India could find another wicket then they would be some chance of increasing the pressure.

29th over: Australia 162-2 (Lanning 33, Perry 7) Four for Lanning, carving a cut shot from Sneh Rana’s off-spin. Rana smiles, what more can she do? But she follows up with a much faster straight delivery that Lanning only just keeps out of her pads. Smart bowling. Drinks, with 116 needed to win.

28th over: Australia 156-2 (Lanning 28, Perry 6) Take on the seamer, not yet the spinner. Both players are cautious against Gayakwad, and with Lanning stretching forward to defend, the left-arm spinner once more turns a ball that kicks and just beats the edge of the bat. She’s bowled a couple of pearlers as well as some loose stuff.

27th over: Australia 154-2 (Lanning 27, Perry 5) Lanning wrenches the run rate back Australia’s way as Meghna Singh returns, bowling short and carved away off the top edge through deep third for one four, then smoked out of the middle through point for another. 124 to win.

26th over: Australia 144-2 (Lanning 18, Perry 4) Just the two runs from Gayakwad’s over of spin, and for the first time in the innings the required rate has crept above the current rate at around 5.5 an over.

25th over: Australia 142-2 (Lanning 17, Perry 3) Another bouncer from Vastrakar, this time way over Lanning’s head. Wide. Lanning finds another boundary with her square drive, then Perry is nearly run out after defending back to Vastrakar with a step forward out of her crease. Vastrakar was sharp enough to fire back at the stumps, but just missed, and Perry was snaking her foot back to safety.

Halfway point. 136 to win.

24th over: Australia 135-2 (Lanning 12, Perry 2) India slowing things down for a moment, only two from the Gayakward over. Must take advantage of this to press for another wicket, rather than letting these two build.

23rd over: Australia 133-2 (Lanning 11, Perry 1) Perry glides a single to get going, Lanning adds a two and a one. Goswami is back on the field.

22nd over: Australia 129-2 (Lanning 8, Perry 0) A strange shot from Lanning to start the partnership, a little pick-up pull to a ball that was too full and outside off from Rana, just clearing short fine leg. But she gets things moving properly with a classy square drive for four.

21st over: Australia 123-2 (Lanning 2) The good news for India: both the set openers are gone. The bad news: they have brought together the most successful chasing partnership in one-day history, Lanning and Ellyse Perry.

20th over: Australia 122-1 (Haynes 43, Lanning 1) Get rid of Healy, welcome Lanning. The Australian skipper sees out the over, driving a straight single from the last ball.

19th over: Australia 118-0 (Haynes 41, Healy 71) Short of options, Mithali Raj goes back to Vastrakar. Who bowls a good over, a zippy bouncer in there to Haynes, and only two singles.

18th over: Australia 118-0 (Haynes 41, Healy 71) More trouble for India with Jhulan Goswami limping from the ground. She had some problem with her ankle, got boundary-line treatment, but now is leaving the arena. Sneh Rana gets worked for a single per ball, plus a brace for Healy.

17th over: Australia 111-0 (Haynes 39, Healy 66) More spin as Gayakwad comes back on, and more runs as Healy bashes two sweep shots in a row through square to the boundary. The team hundred comes up at more than six per over. This team is like the Australian men’s teams of 20 years ago, bullying every opponent in cricket terms. Healy sweeps another boundary with more finesse. India get desperate enough to burn another lbw review, this one pitching outside leg stump. 14 runs from the over.

16th over: Australia 97-0 (Haynes 39, Healy 54) One quiet over is all that Sneh Rana gets, as the Australians attack her next. Haynes and Healy both come down the pitch to hit straight, the former picking up four runs, the latter three. India try a review from the last ball of the over, but with the off-spinner bowling around the wicket, the ball hitting Haynes in front of the stumps is going down the leg side.

14th over: Australia 85-0 (Haynes 33, Healy 49) Sneh Rana on to bowl, the off-spinner putting no pace on the ball and getting some drift in the air. Keeps them to two singles from the over.

13th over: Australia 83-0 (Haynes 32, Healy 48) Meghna Singh around the wicket to the lefty, trying something different to Haynes, who nails one cut shot for four but skews another push in the air through cover for a risky run. Survives.

12th over: Australia 76-0 (Haynes 27, Healy 47) Five runs from the Vastrakar over, Healy working a couple of twos around. She hasn’t had much strike lately, so she has quietened down. Haynes could have been run out to start that over, hitting the ball straight to mid-off and running, but Harmanpreet’s underarm diving forward has no pace on it and lobs over the stumps.

11th over: Australia 71-0 (Haynes 26, Healy 43) Meghna Singh returns after the fielding restrictions are lifted, and has changed ends. Richa Ghosh comes up to the stumps to stop the Australians wandering about. Meghna twice bowls wide down the leg side: that’s the last thing India’s bowlers need to add to their effort. Eventually she asks Ghosh to stand back instead, and the only concedes two runs off the bat.

10th over: Australia 67-0 (Haynes 25, Healy 42) “Watch the ball,” Haynes mouths to herself as Vastrakar runs in, and she does so. Vastrakar again proves the most demanding of the bowlers, five in a row on a good length that keeps Haynes quiet, but the final ball drops short and Haynes punishes the pull shot so effectively that it goes to the boundary through through wide long on.

9th over: Australia 63-0 (Haynes 21, Healy 42) Turn past the outside edge for Gayakwad! Gets it past Healy’s outside edge by a micron, and nearly has her stumped too but Healy on the big forward stretch just keeps her back toe anchored. A poor ball to follow though, down leg side again and knocked away fine for three with Goswami eventually saving a boundary with her boot. Drops short to Haynes who carves away four with a cut shot. India can’t stop the scoring. A single follows with a misfield from the bowler, through her hands.

8th over: Australia 53-0 (Haynes 16, Healy 37) Another bowling change with the seam of Pooja Vastrakar, the all-rounder who has made a big impression since touring Australia last September. Big hitter with the bat, but is at least at this stage primarily a bowler. Hits her length, importantly, with an off-stump line and the Australians only score a scrambled single and a sliced two.

7th over: Australia 50-0 (Haynes 14, Healy 36) Australia flying at more than seven runs per over, and Mithali Raj brings on her left-arm spinner, Rajeshwari Gayakwad. Wearing her broad black headband, bouncing up to the crease, usually around the wicket whether to stances right or left. She’s had a good tournament so far, and bowls a good over up until the final ball, which is outside leg stump for Haynes and deflected on the paddle sweep for four.

6th over: Australia 43-0 (Haynes 9, Healy 34) A bit of circumspection from Healy with Meghna Singh bowling wide, swinging it away with the field stacked behind point, making it dangerous to glide the ball away. But when Meghna bowls a similar ball too full, Healy thrashes another cover drive for four. Then nearly runs herself out! Hits it straight to point, Yastika Bhatia I think it was collecting a one-bounce ball, but can’t get rid of the throw quickly enough, taking an extra step to steady herself first. Healy reaches the non-striker’s end, and the ball misses anyway. A faster direct hit would have had her.

5th over: Australia 38-0 (Haynes 9, Healy 29) The Australian keeper is really off to a fast start. Goswami bowls too short to Healy, who cracks a pull shot and then a cut shot to the boundary, back to back.

4th over: Australia 29-0 (Haynes 9, Healy 20) More aggression from Healy against Meghna, as she sees some width. Drives on the up, throws her hands hard at the line, and that means the shot goes in the air through cover. But she gets lucky with the placement and picks up four. Then gets luckier with an outside edge that goes wide of slip for a single to deep third. Against the left-hander the swing bowler is bringing the ball into the pads, startling Haynes with some bounce as well. But Meghna Singh then offers a poor delivery, dragged down hard and bouncing well wide of off stump. Haynes can larrup it over point and get back for three runs.

3rd over: Australia 20-0 (Haynes 6, Healy 14) The Australians are happy to pick off Goswami for modest returns early in the day, knocking singles and a two for Haynes behind square leg. Nothing aggressive.

2nd over: Australia 15-0 (Haynes 3, Healy 12) A good mix of aggression with patience from Healy, seeing out a few balls from Meghna Singh, but putting away an errant ball through fine leg for four, then driving three through cover.

1st over: Australia 6-0 (Haynes 1, Healy 5) We’re off to the races. Jhulan Goswami has the ball in hand, India’s heartbeat, the tall seam bowler who leads the world by a mile in one-day wickets. She hits a good line as she almost always does, and a decent length except when she overpitches one ball for Healy to drive through cover for four.

Hello all, thanks Megan for taking us through. That was quite the performance from India, after a campaign that has been hit and miss. The Australians have been mowing down huge totals though, so it’s very much in their reach. Looking forward to the reply.

50th over: India 277-7 (Harmanpreet Kaur 57)

Jonassen bowls the last over and India are pushing for a strong finish. They’re running hard and pushing for twos, but the boundaries they’d like aren’t coming to them. They can’t find a boundary this over, but they squeeze every run they can out of it, Kaur finishing not out and Vastrakar sacrificing herself, run out from the last ball of the innings.

49th over: India 269-6 (Harmanpreet Kaur 52, Pooja Vastrakar 31)

Schutt takes the penultimate over and Kaur punches the first ball down the ground. Perry comes in to cut it off, but she fumbles it and very nearly gives her a boundary assist. There’s an LBW appeal next ball, but it’s ruled to be going down leg and then Healy has a chance for a direct hit run out at the bowler’s end, but she misses the stumps. Australia decides to review for the LBW, but the umpire made the right call originally and India stay in the fight. Vastrakar has a big swipe at the next ball, putting it in the air over mid off and Healy calls out for a catch, but it falls safely and it’s an easy two. Late in the over she smashes an 81 metre six over long on and finishes with a single.

48th over: India 257-6 (Harmanpreet Kaur 50, Pooja Vastrakar 22)

Jonassen thinks she might have an LBW first ball, but the angle isn’t there for that opportunity. A flurry of singles follows and Kaur finishes the over by bringing up her 50 in an excellent effort for her team.

47th over: India 251-6 (Harmanpreet Kaur 47, Pooja Vastrakar 20)

Schutt takes this over and India’s run rate has bounced back over five, which she will be looking to pull back. But Kaur isn’t intimidated and as soon as Vastrakar gets her on strike, she pulls a ball that splits the fielders to race over the boundary. Vastrakar pulls one of her own, but she doesn’t quite time it and it’s just a single. Kaur drives another one down the ground, bringing up the 250 for India. Vastrakar mistimes another shot, but she takes another single and they’re keeping the score ticking over, which is so important at this stage of the match.

46th over: India 242-6 (Harmanpreet Kaur 41, Pooja Vastrakar 17)

King is bowling her 10th over and Kaur immediately punches the ball straight down the ground, where it evades Mooney to zoom over the boundary for four. She follows it up with another shot down the ground, but this one is just a single to give Vastrakar the strike. Vastrakar is pleased with the opportunity and has seen the way Kaur has been scoring down the ground and decides she wants a piece of that action and drives it down that way for six. King bowls a wide one that is judged too wide, but Healy appeals for a stumping from it. Vastrakar is safely in her crease though and she punches the next one down the ground for four, noticing Mooney has come up and there is space down there. She finishes the over with a single, bringing up 17 from the over

45th over: India 225-6 (Harmanpreet Kaur 36, Pooja Vastrakar 6)

The run rate has dropped below five an over and India will need to address that to ensure they put on a defendable total. They’re striking the ball hard, but Schutt continues to bowl well to her field. Kaur shows her intent on the third ball and and urges Vastrakar through for a second run where previously they would have only taken one. India aren’t interested in allowing any dot balls this over and it’s not until the last ball that Schutt gets one.

44th over: India 219-6 (Harmanpreet Kaur 34, Pooja Vastrakar 2)

Kaur gets a ball on the toe of the bat on the first ball of King’s over and they run hard for two. She gives them a big opportunity from the second ball with a top edge and Mooney looks like she will take it easily, but she needed to take one more step to secure the ball and she throws her hands at it instead and it slips through her fingers. Kaur will want to use that reprieve and make Australia pay for that drop, but King keeps building the pressure with dot balls and keeps Kaur off strike.

43rd over: India 215-6 (Harmanpreet Kaur 31, Pooja Vastrakar 1)

Jonassen has immediate impact and removes Rana from the first ball and Vastrakar gets off strike after a couple of attempts, knowing Kaur needs to face as many balls as possible to finish this innings. On the final ball of the over she sweeps hard for a single to hold on to the strike.

42nd over: India 213-5 (Harmanpreet Kaur 30, Sneh Rana 1)

King strikes from the first ball of the over, dismissing Richa and bring Sneh Rana to the crease. Rana takes a few balls to settle in as Australia looks to keep her on strike, knowing how dangerous a set Kaur can be. They do a good job of it for three balls and then Rana manages to get down the other end from a leg bye, but Kaur can’t score from the final ball.

41st over: India 212-4 (Harmanpreet Kaur 30, Richa Ghosh 8)

We’re into the last 10 overs and McGrath starts it with a low full toss, which is a gift to Kaur who sends it to the boundary for four. She takes a single from the next ball to get Richa on strike. McGrath offers a half volley to Richa and Kaur pushes her for two and they run well to make it. Kaur finishes the over with another sweep shot and this one goes all the way to the boundary for four. The run rate is creeping up and India will be working hard to keep it moving in that direction.

40th over: India 200-4 (Harmanpreet Kaur 21, Richa Ghosh 5)

King resumes her spell and she will be buoyed by that wicket of Mithali. She’ll have her eye on Kaur next, who is Australia’s big concern heading into the final overs of the match. Kaur pulls out her sweep shot as soon as she gets on strike, but it only results in a single. Richa plays a clever scoop that almost makes it to the boundary and it should have been three runs, but they don’t communicate well enough and it’s only two.

39th over: India 196-4 (Harmanpreet Kaur 20, Richa Ghosh 2)

India have brought their run rate up about five an over now and they will be looking to keep pushing that up. Their intent is clear from the first ball of Schutt’s over as they turn what would have been a one at other points in this match into two. There’s a big appeal for LBW on the second ball of the over. The umpire isn’t interested, but Lanning decides to review. However the video shows that the ball clipped Kaur’s glove and the umpire’s decision stands. Healy goes for a stumping next ball, but Richa is well in her crease. A mix up with the running next ball nearly results in a run out, but McGrath hesitates on the throw and Richa is safe. It’s a good over from Schutt, creating plenty of chances.

38th over: India 191-4 (Harmanpreet Kaur 17, Richa Ghosh 1)

Another almost chance from the first ball of King’s over, but again it falls short and Brown can only collect it on the bounce. King eventually strikes, removing the dangerous Mithali, which will be a big relief to the Australians late in this innings. Richa Ghosh comes to the crease and gets off the mark immediately, followed by Kaur taking a four and a single to finish the over.

37th over: India 185-3 (Harmanpreet Kaur 11, Mithali Raj 68)

Schutt comes back on to bowl now. She didn’t take a wicket from her first spell, but she bowled well and kept the scoring low in the power play, so now may be her chance to strike if she is able to frustrate the batters by accumulating some dot balls. Singles from the first two balls tell us that the Indian batters aren’t prepared to let that happen. A bit of a wayward shot from Mithali on the third ball looks like it might be a chance, but there are no fielders there to pick up a catch. Kaur plays a nice little scoop to fine leg, but a fielder is there to cut it off before it gets to the boundary.

36th over: India 181-3 (Harmanpreet Kaur 9, Mithali Raj 66)

King returns to the attack and Mithali goes after her straight away, with an aggressive sweep, but it doesn’t clear the field and she just gets a single. Kaur comes to the party with her first boundary of the match - her trademark sweep shot past deep square leg for four. There’s a chance for a caught and bowled with a leading edge late in the over, but it falls just short of King.

35th over: India 176-3 (Harmanpreet Kaur 5, Mithali Raj 65)

We’re getting into crunch time for India now and Kaur will need to start matching Mithali and lifting the run rate now she has had a few overs to get her eye in. She starts the over with a single from Perry and Mithali keeps the strike rotating to give Kaur another shot. She plays a nice cut shot, but it’s straight to the fielder. She doesn’t look in any hurry just yet, but we know she has the power to go hard late in the innings. A pull shot from the next ball looks much more aggressive and she gets a run from this one, before Mithali plays a very fine one down to hold on to the strike for the next over.

34th over: India 172-3 (Harmanpreet Kaur 3, Mithali Raj 63)

Lanning continues with Brown, which is unsurprising as they would love to take another wicket and Brown is certainly the one they’ll be looking to for that. A shorter ball early in the over strikes Kaur on the arm and ricochets into her helmet, but her arm took a lot of the impact and she isn’t troubled by it. Brown is keeping her line very tight, she’s certainly been the pick of the Australian bowlers today, even aside from the three wickets. But Mithali reads her beautifully from the last ball of the over, timing a ball perfectly to beat Perry on the boundary.

33rd over: India 166-3 (Harmanpreet Kaur 2, Mithali Raj 57)

Perry is back into the attack at the other end - will she have better control this time around? At this stage I think she’d be happy with a six ball over instead of the 12 ball over she bowled last time around. She starts well and she prefers bowling to right handers, so this partnership will suit her better. Kaur gets off the mark, but Perry is only giving away singles, bowling well to her field. It’s a good over from Perry, she will take a lot of confidence from that after her over to forget earlier in the match.

32nd over: India 162-3 (Harmanpreet Kaur 0, Mithali Raj 56)

Brown continues and Mithali chips one over the field, but it doesn’t get past the field and it’s just a single. But two balls later she lures Bhatia perfectly and picks up her third wicket. Mithali finds some space late in the over, but it’s a beautiful save on the boundary from Schutt.

Jack Jorgensen however, disregarded my request for wrong answers only and has decided to give us a sensible suggestion.

Hi Megan,
Is Nasser commentating on Aus / Pak Men’s Tests? I think that might be Rob Key’s voice that sounds very similar to Nasser’s.
Go Aus!
Cheers, Jack

It’s not what I was looking for, but helpful nonetheless. Thanks for your wisdom Jack.

Drinks are on the field, so we have time to look at some answers to Kate Poole’s question.

Hullo Megan Maurice,
With re: Nasser Hussein appearing hither and thither, OBO 16-17 AUS-IND, me buddies have pondered over several theories, and have now finalised the likelihood that:
Hussein is most definitely in tropical West Indies. Why would he be in the Land of Long White Clouds where the bones chill?
Hussein has learnt the ancient art of assembling himself, just like the Indian Fakirs of yore did, from one place to another.
Or it could be mirrors!
Hope this answers Kate Poole’s query.
Be that it may, it is most enjoyable following the OBOs, so long ‘ere may this continue!
Bik M’Path

I’m a big fan of these answers, excellent work, thank you for your input.

31st over: India 157-2 (Yastika Bhatia 59, Mithali Raj 51)

Well now is the traditional point where teams start to go big and push up their run rate. Let’s see what India have in store with this very good partnership in place and plenty of wickets in hand. They run hard on the first ball, but Bhatia gets a ball to the helmet from the throw back and we pause while the necessary checks are done. She’s all good and Gardner sends down another two wides, taking Australia’s wide total to 23 for the match. Next ball Bhatia brings up her 50 with a wonderful shot past deep square leg for four. She tries something similar on the other side of the wicket next ball, but can’t quite get hold of it. She looks to go down the ground after that, but that shot isn’t on either, but eventually she is able to take advantage of a McGrath misfield to pick up two runs. On the final ball of the over she brings out an absolute delight of a shot, turning her wrists to get it extremely fine down to the boundary - it’s beautiful to watch.

30th over: India 144-2 (Yastika Bhatia 49, Mithali Raj 50)

There was some nervousness about the weather prior to this game starting, but the sun is shining brightly now and Darcie Brown is back into the attack - the only Australian bowler who has taken wickets so far today. Again the Indians are playing just lovely looking shots, but so often they’re only bringing one run. The Australians are bowling to their field very well, but they’ll want to take some more wickets soon. Mithali brings up her half century late in the over, setting up a great platform to launch from late in this innings.

29th over: India 141-2 (Yastika Bhatia 48, Mithali Raj 48)

Bhatia is on the charge now against King with a slog and it looks like a six, but it bounces just in front of the rope for a very nice four instead. There’s a little bit of a collision between King and Mithali on the third ball of the over as King dives to save a ball going past her and Mithali wants to get back in her crease quickly. But there’s no harm done and they’re both fine to play on. The Indians are looking very settled now, bringing up their highest ever third wicket partnership against Australia in this over.

28th over: India 135-2 (Yastika Bhatia 43, Mithali Raj 47)

Jonassen comes back into the attack now, with a change of ends. Bhatia looks very confident to start with a scoop to fine leg, before Mithali brings up the 100 partnership with a lovely sweep next ball. This is only the eighth 100 partnership that Australia have conceded in a World Cup match, so a very fine effort from these two. Mithali celebrates with a powerful six down the ground next ball.

27th over: India 126-2 (Yastika Bhatia 41, Mithali Raj 40)

Bhatia plays one straight back past King to start the over, but Haynes is out in the deep to save the boundary. The field moves in a bit for Mithali, but she takes a quick single and hands the strike back to Bhatia. It’s a good over from King, just the three singles from it.

26th over: India 123-2 (Yastika Bhatia 39, Mithali Raj 39)

Bhatia looks assertive, if not aggressive, against McGrath straight up with a back foot steer to third. Mithali then plays a very nice drive to third that should have got her three runs, but Bhatia hesitates a little and they can only get two. McGrath joins the wide party and luckily Healy gets a glove on it, because it looked to be heading for the boundary. Bhatia cuts hard on the last ball of the over and it pierces the infield, but can’t get past the outfield.

25th over: India 115-2 (Yastika Bhatia 37, Mithali Raj 35)

King takes her second over as we approach the halfway point of this innings. She has Mithali’s measure early, starting with four dot balls and keeping her line very tight. The fourth is a little quicker and Healy thinks it might get past Mithali, but she plays it safely. She finally gets off strike next ball and Bhatia takes a quick single from the last.

24th over: India 113-2 (Yastika Bhatia 36, Mithali Raj 34)

Tahlia McGrath changes ends and comes from the southern end this time, starting just as consistently as she did from the northern end. Mithali slashes one away from the third ball of the over, getting the Australians interested in a catch, but it falls safely and is picked up by Haynes to keep it to two runs. There’s a run out opportunity a few balls later but Bhatia manages to hurry back into her crease in time. She then punches one down the ground for four in very confident style.

23rd over: India 104-2 (Yastika Bhatia 30, Mithali Raj 31)

Alana King enters the attack for the first time this match, the seventh Australian bowler used so far today. She starts with a wide, but the next ball is better and Bhatia just manages a single from it. Her next three balls are good, but a fumble in the field from Jonassen gives away a single just as King as building some pressure.

22nd over: India 101-2 (Yastika Bhatia 29, Mithali Raj 30)

Mithali takes her opportunity straight away from Gardner’s next over, guiding the ball beautifully past third for a boundary straight away. Gardner fights back with three dot balls and then Mithali gets one through the covers that races away, but the fielders restrict her to three.

21st over: India 93-2 (Yastika Bhatia 28, Mithali Raj 23)

Mithali looks to go that bit harder to start McGrath’s over and it’s in the air, but falls just short of King. She’s looking more aggressive this over, but isn’t getting the ball past the field. But both batters are keeping the runs coming and the strike rotating and aren’t allowing Australia to accumulate too many dot balls against them.

20th over: India 90-2 (Yastika Bhatia 27, Mithali Raj 21)

Gardner and Healy both thought the first ball was going to clip leg stump, but it just misses and there’s a single from the next ball. Again India are just rotating the strike and keeping up a decent run rate of 4.5 but as this partnership is settled, the time to go harder will arrive soon.

19th over: India 86-2 (Yastika Bhatia 26, Mithali Raj 20)

McGrath continues, looking to keep up her tight bowling and she starts well, bowling excellently to her field. Bhatia is playing some nice shots, but the fielders are cutting them off every time. Eventually she gets one away, but it’s just a single to deep square leg. Mithali goes again for her favourite little pocket of the ground at deep extra cover, but she can’t get it past Schutt.

18th over: India 83-2 (Yastika Bhatia 25, Mithali Raj 18)

Another over for Gardner and she’s coming over the wicket. India will want to start getting a hurry on before too long, it looks like a good batting wicket and a fast outfield and we know how much batting power Australia has and how good they are at chasing. Gardner gives away two wides late in the over, with 18 wides now bowled by Australia so far this match. She finishes with a much tighter line.

17th over: India 76-2 (Yastika Bhatia 23, Mithali Raj 18)

Tahlia McGrath gets her first over now and she starts it very well, with four dot balls. Bhatia is eyeing her cautiously and is happy to block it out for a few balls before taking a single and handing the strike to Mithali. A good over from McGrath, just the one from it.

While we take a quick break for drinks, Kate Poole poses an interesting question via email.

Where in the world is Nasser Hussein?

I have theories on how he is managing to commentate for both women’s World Cup and Aus/Pakistan men’s tests

1) he has a prototype transporter
2) he has an identical twin and they’ve been fooling the whole world for decades, sneakily changing places when no one is watching.

Sure, the answer is likely that the commentary team is remote for one or both competitions, however I find this explanation somewhat dissatisfying.

If you’ve got a theory, drop it in a tweet or email - wrong answers only.

16th over: India 75-2 (Yastika Bhatia 22, Mithali Raj 18)

Gardner takes another over and starts it well, with four dots on the trot. She’s getting through the overs nice and quickly as well, which will please Lanning. Mithali plays a lovely shot on the fifth ball of the over, but she can’t get it past the field. It’s a maiden from Gardner.

15th over: India 75-2 (Yastika Bhatia 22, Mithali Raj 18)

Another over for Jonassen, coming over the wicket to start. Bhatia is rotating the strike nicely at the moment, but the Indians aren’t going too hard yet, just taking the opportunities when they arise, not pushing the strike rate too much. Mithali finds one of those opportunities from the fourth ball, finding another one of those weird pockets of the ground past a quick outfield for a boundary. She decides she quite likes the weird pocket and sends it straight back there, but this time it’s just three runs, well fielded by Tahlia McGrath.

14th over: India 67-2 (Yastika Bhatia 21, Mithali Raj 11)

Well we have our answer - Perry is going to take a break and Gardner takes over from her end. This serves the dual purposes of giving Perry some time to get her head back in the game and speeding up the over rate with spin from both ends. Some lovely touch from Mithali from the third ball races away past third for four. It’s a good over from Gardner aside from that, with no other scoring opportunities apart from the boundaries.

13th over: India 63-2 (Yastika Bhatia 21, Mithali Raj 7)

Jonassen returns for her second and Mithali pulls her nicely for a single from the second ball to get the more prolific Bhatia on strike. Perry’s over took nine minutes to bowl, so it’s lucky they’ve got spin from the other end to get it through a bit more speedily. This is a much tidier over, only the three from it.

12th over: India 60-2 (Yastika Bhatia 20, Mithali Raj 5)

Ellyse Perry comes into the attack for the first time today. She has been in great form with the ball lately, can she continue today? She doesn’t get her line quite right from the first ball, but it doesn’t cost her as Bhatia can’t get bat on it. Her second ball is a wide and then Bhatia puts one away very fine for four. Her next ball is another wide and this is really bringing back memories of the India series last year when she couldn’t seem to control her line. She drags it back in next ball and only gives away a single. But then another wide follows - it will be interesting to see if Lanning gives her another over after this or gives her a break to get her head back into it. A dot and a single show she’s got her line in better shape and she finishes the over by coming around the wicket and giving away five wides, so she’ll have to bowl it again. Lanning has a little word to her before she bowls it, but it’s yet another wide. Her radar just isn’t there right now. And there is another wide - she decides to come back over the wicket and finally she finishes the over.

11th over: India 44-2 (Yastika Bhatia 15, Mithali Raj 4)

We get our first look at some spin for today, with Jess Jonassen coming into the attack after the power play has ended. Bhatia glances it nicely to fine leg for two from Jonassen’s first ball and backs it up with a single. Mithali plays it patiently, but isn’t as cautious as she was with Brown and only lets one dot ball accumulate before she takes a quick single. Bhatia is tempted into a big shot from the last ball of the over and top edges the ball in Perry’s direction, but it falls just short and she’s safe.

10th over: India 39-2 (Yastika Bhatia 11, Mithali Raj 3)

An edge from Bhatia starts the over, but it falls safely wide of Lanning in slip to give Bhatia a single. Mithali continues in her unhurried manner, not wanting to be lured in by Brown to send a catch to the fielders as her two openers were. It’s a very tidy over from Brown, just the one from it.

9th over: India 38-2 (Yastika Bhatia 10, Mithali Raj 3)

A fifth over straight for Schutt, Lanning is clearly happy with what she’s getting from her opening bowlers. Bhatia again starts with two really nice looking shots, but they can’t penetrate the field. On the third ball she times one perfectly with her cut shot and gets the ball down to one of those weird pockets of the field and across the boundary for four. Schutt fights back with two dot balls and Bhatia hurries through for a single on the last to retain the strike.

8th over: India 33-2 (Yastika Bhatia 5, Mithali Raj 3)

Brown comes on for her fourth over, bowling to Mithali, who is 20 years her senior. Brown was born four years after Mithali made her ODI debut, so this is quite a match up. Brown gives away another wide on the fourth ball of the over and Mithali sees her opportunity after that with a beautiful shot through covers for two. Brown finishes the over with two very good balls.

7th over: India 30-2 (Yastika Bhatia 5, Mithali Raj 1)

Mithali Raj hasn’t been in top form with her batting, so it will be interesting to see what she can do today. Bhatia gets her on strike after three balls and Mithali doesn’t look in too much of a hurry, just taking a single from the final ball of the over.

6th over: India 28-2 (Yastika Bhatia 4, Mithali Raj 0)

Another over for Brown and Bhatia plays some very nice looking shots to start, but she can’t quite get them past the field. On the third ball of the over, she finally finds a gap, but doesn’t quite time it perfectly and it’s just a single. Brown looks to intimidate Verma with a short ball immediately when she comes on strike after Verma finished the previous over so dominantly. It pays off when she takes Verma’s wicket on the final ball of the over

5th over: India 27-1 (Yastika Bhatia 3, Shafali Verma 12)

Schutt back for her third over and she starts with a good, tight line. Verma takes a single from the second ball to get Bhatia back on strike and she immediately guides one through the field for another single. Verma gets sick of the singles and brings out a powerful shot back over Schutt’s head for six and is looking much more like the Verma we know and love. Off the next ball she steers the ball through a gap in the field, timed perfectly to get it to the boundary for four. She’s really coming into her own now.

4th over: India 15-1 (Yastika Bhatia 2, Shafali Verma 1)

Brown looks to make up for her ordinary first over and she does immediately, with the big wicket of Mandhana, bringing Yastika Bhatia to the crease. Bhatia uses the first ball to get her eye in, before a well run two off the next ball to get off the mark quickly. Brown gives away the first extra of the match with a wide, followed by a dot ball and then another wide. This has shades of Australia’s series against India late last year when they just couldn’t stop bowling wides. Hopefully Brown has got that out of her system now.

3rd over: India 11-0 (Smriti Mandhana 10, Shafali Verma 1)

Schutt returns and starts with a good length ball that Mandhana can’t quite get away, but she picks up a single from the second ball. Eden Park is a very interesting shaped field and the batters seem to be struggling to decide when they can take two runs - they may settle a bit throughout the game as they get a feel for it. Verma sees out four dots from Schutt - she hasn’t quite got into her groove yet and she’s remaining cautious while she finds her way.

2nd over: India 10-0 (Smriti Mandhana 9, Shafali Verma 1)

Darcie Brown gets us started from the southern end after taking a break last game, so she should be rested and and refreshed. Mandhana picks up a run immediately off the hip, but the field cuts it off well to stop her taking more runs. Verma gets off the mark next ball with a little inside edge that is fielded by Perry at deep square leg. Mandhana then snaffles the first boundary of the match, with a lovely back foot glance past fine leg.

1st over: India 3-0 (Smriti Mandhana 3, Shafali Verma 0)

Schutt takes the new ball for Australia, a familiar role for her - although Lanning did mix it up and bring her in later in the innings a couple of matches ago. Mandhana goes immediately on the attack, guiding the first ball past the fielders and picking up a quick two to get off the mark. Schutt draws it back with two dot balls to follow and Mandhana then picks up a single on the drive to give Verma her first look at Schutt for the match. Verma can’t get off the mark and Schutt takes two more dots to finish the over.

One change to each of the teams for this game, with Darcie Brown in for Australia and Shafali Verma returning for India after sitting out their last few matches. Australia will of course be looking to erase the memories of the 2017 World Cup, when Harmanpreet Kaur scored 171 in the semi-final against Australia to propel India to victory and send Australia to a shock early exit from the tournament. As much as the team claim this game doesn’t play on their minds and they are a new team now, it’s likely still sitting in the backs of the minds of the senior players and coaching staff who were involved with that game.