NEW DELHI: India A bowlers mounted a spirited fightback on the second day of the unofficial one-off women's Test in Gold Coast on Friday, yet Australia A tightened their grip with an overall lead surging to 192 runs.
Despite India A skipper Minnu Mani completing a match haul of 10 wickets, Australia A's Kate Peterson returned impressive figures of 5/16, handing the hosts a slender 28-run lead in the first innings as India A were bowled out for 184 in reply to Australia A's 212.
Resuming at 100/2, India A seemed poised to take a substantial lead but faltered under Peterson's fierce spell, losing five middle-order wickets for just 27 runs.
Key batters, Tejal Hasabnis (32) and Shweta Sehrawat (40), were the first to fall, followed by a collapse that left India A struggling.
However, lower-order contributions from Sayali Satghare (21), Minnu Mani (17), and Mannat Kashyap (19) added crucial runs, helping the team avert a huge lead by Australia A.
Minnu Mani immediately impacted with the ball, troubling the Australia A batters. She dismissed opener Georgia Voll and her counterpart Charli Knott for ducks in consecutive overs, reducing the hosts to 0/2.
Mani, who had already taken a five-wicket haul in the first innings, continued her dominance by getting rid of Nicole Faltum (16) and then cleaning up Tess Flintoff with an off-break.
Despite Mani's efforts, opener Emma de Broughe provided some resistance for her team, scoring 58 runs off 117 balls before rookie leg-spinner Priya Mishra claimed her wicket.
Wicketkeeper Maddy Darke steadied the innings further, scoring an unbeaten half-century. Darke ended the day's play with 54 not out off 100 deliveries, leading Australia’s recovery to 164/7.
Maddy Drake took matters into her own hands by hitting an unbeaten half-century (54 not out off 100 deliveries) to lead Australia's recovery further as the hosts reached 164/7 at the end of play.
Maddy added 54 for the sixth wicket with Maitlan Brown (26 off 45) before the latter became Minnu Mani's tenth wicket in the game.
Brief scores reveal Australia A finished their first innings at 212 and were 164/7 at the end of day two, thanks largely to contributions from Emma de Broughe (58) and Maddy Darke.
Brief Scores: Australia A 212 and 164 for 7 (Emma de Broughe 58, Manddy Darke 54 not out; Minnu Mani 5/47) lead India A 184 (Shweta Sehrawart 40, Tejal Hasabnis 32; Kate Peterson 5/16) by 192 runs.
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