Aus women win a thriller by 3 runs & take ODI series as India choke in a modest chase

  

The Indian women's cricket team had to face defeat in the second consecutive match of the three-match ODI series against Australia and lose the same.  Even wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh's mature innings of 96 runs could not help the team win.  After winning the toss and batting first, the Australian team scored 258 runs for 8 wickets due to some good Indian spin bowling .  The Indian team failed to achieve this target and could score only 255 runs at the loss of 8 wickets.  By winning the match by 3 runs, the visiting team took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

 From India's side, young wicketkeeper batsman Richa Ghosh kept the team in the match by playing a brilliant innings of 96 runs.  Coming close to her first ODI century, she missed completing it by just 4 runs.  Richa played this innings hitting 13 fours in 117 balls.  For India, Jemimah Rodrigues played a crucial innings of 44 runs and had a fruitful stand with Richa  while opener Smriti Mandhana scored a sparkling  34 runs. 

India had an opening stand of 37 before Yastika (14) was lbw to the accurate Kin Garth . Richa came out at 3 and batted with responsibility while Smriti departed after 34 dismissed by King . Richa- Jemima stand put Infia in a winning position before Jemima was acrobatically caught by Litchfield off Sutherland.  Soon Richa , who was suffering from cramps , started playing aggresive shots and soon marched to a dazzling  96 but Sutherland had her caught . Deepti (23*) simply failed to force the pace and some fine bowling by the Aussies in the final few overs sealed India's fate .

 Taking full advantage of the dry and turning pitch, Deepti took five wickets for 38 runs in 10 overs in Australian innings but her brilliant bowling could not be beneficial due to the poor fielding of the host team.  Deepti achieved the feat of taking five wickets for the second time in her career by taking the wickets of Ellyse Perry (50 ), Beth Mooney (10), Tahlia McGrath (24 ), Georgia Wareham (22 ) and Annabel Sutherland (23).  .  Alana King was dropped once by Deepti and once by captain Harmanpreet Kaur.  In the end, Alana hit three sixes and scored in invaluable unbeaten 28 runs in 17 balls, helping Australia cross 250 runs.

 By the 22nd over, the Australian team was in good control, having scored 117 runs for one wicket with a partnership of 77 runs for the second wicket between Perry and Phoebe Litchfield (63 runs, 98 balls, six fours). Both the batters were playing dazzling strokes . The is Litchfield's 2nd consecutive 50 in ODIs  . But as soon as Harmanpreet put Deepti on bowling, the tables seemed to turn in India's favour as this senior spinner did wonders as soon as she came. 

There were cameos from McGrath (24) , Sutherland (23) and Alana King (27*). King made a big difference with those 3 sixes in the final over to help Australia get a fighting score . 

Anabel Sutherland for her 23 runs and 3 wickets was adjudged the player of the match .

 Australia had won by 6 wickets in the first match of the three-match ODI series against India.  In the second ODI, they won the series by 3 runs and won a thrilling victory.  Now the last match of this series will be played on 2 January.  The Indian team would like to save its honor by winning this match.