Cricket ODI: Australia beats India in controversial finish to extend win streak
Indian cricket fans are outraged a third umpire has become the central figure in a match-deciding moment of a game, while the high-flying Aussies have spoken out. Have your say.
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Australia is adamant there was nothing controversial about the women’s epic no-ball win over India as its unshakeable belief and fearless approach sets it up to extend its one-day domination through to next year’s World Cup.
While cricket fans in India are outraged that a waist-high no-ball call by the third umpire cost the tourists’ victory in Friday night’s second ODI clash in Mackay, Tahlia McGrath and her teammates knew immediately they would get a second chance at snatching an unlikely win.
McGrath said the Australians immediately spotted the height of Jhulan Goswami’s final delivery when Nicola Carey was caught out at square leg, the third umpire’s intervention giving the Aussies a chance to snatch the two runs needed off the next ball to secure their 26th straight ODI win.
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While some view the delivery as an obvious no-ball, others noted the lower body positioning of Carey at the point of contact as perhaps justification the third umpire didn’t need to overrule the field umpires.
Some Indian supporters even suggested umpires would never make such a harsh call on men’s skipper Virat Kohli at a match-deciding moment of a game.
No ball? Y/N#AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/QP70Obgqbl
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) September 24, 2021
Australia though are certain the right call was made and now head into Sunday’s third ODI in Mackay confident that not only have they pulled off a great escape, but that they can produce miracles from any point in the game and by any member of their talented squad.
“We knew straight away it was a no-ball, you’ve got to re-bowl that,” McGrath said.
“We were pretty adamant it was a no-ball and keen to get on with the game quickly. Lucky it worked out in our favour.
“It was a pretty special win and good teams just find a way to win.
“We weren’t in a good position early but there was still that belief right the way through that we had the ability to do it.
“It’s a pretty special win and it’s given us momentum now for the rest of the tour.”
While McGrath was a standout with her 74 runs and 3-45 with the ball, the star of the victory was undoubtedly the composed innings of opener Beth Mooney (125 not out) who was a rock throughout the 50-overs and on-field calculator.
“She was literally breaking it down bit by bit. She was my calculator out there, telling me the run rates we needed and setting five-over targets,” McGrath said.
“To have that concentration and endurance for that sort of innings is incredible from her.”
Mooney said for the likes of McGrath and Carey (39 not out) to stand up under pressure with the bat after big-names like Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy all failed, showed this Australian team has depth that gives them confidence they are never beaten.
“To beat some of the best teams in the world you’ve got to expect to be challenged by them and that has certainly happened,” Mooney said.
“Moving forward it’s going to show that no matter the situation in front of us, we have the team and belief in the team to get us across the line. Hopefully we see a little bit more of that moving forward.
“It will gives us a huge boost, especially leading into a World Cup … it gives us huge belief that pretty much anyone in this team can win us a game from anywhere.”
Incredible ODI streak continues after drama fuelled finish
Australia has stretched its record-breaking WODI streak to 26 in unbelievable circumstances, with the second match against India going down to the last ball in Mackay on Friday night.
Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath and Nicola Carey were all instrumental as Australia recovered from a top-order batting collapse to chase down India’s strong total of 274.
When Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry were dismissed for only eight runs between them — the trio’s lowest ever combined total in an international innings where all three have batted — Australia looked at long odds to chase down the biggest target of the streak.
However, just as young gun Darcie Brown turned in a player-of-the-match performance in the first game of the series, so too were McGrath and Mooney shining lights for the Aussies.
In just her seventh WODI, McGrath, 25, was Australia’s leading wicket-taker and recorded a career-best 74 runs, becoming only the fifth Aussie cricketer in the past decade to take three wickets and score a half-century in an ODI.
The pair combined at the crease for 126 runs to wrestle back the momentum, and when Mooney cut loose for her second-ever WODI century, the Aussies were in with a sniff.
Nicola Carey pitched in for a vital cameo as the contest began to go right down to the wire.
In unforgettable scenes, Carey was caught on the final ball of Australia’s over, only for the decision to be reviewed by the third umpire, who ruled India’s delivery was above waist height, so constituted a no ball.
Australia had a chance to win the game with two runs off the final ball, and Carey slogged to the deep to lock up Australia’s 26th straight WODI victory.
“Credit to Nic, it was a great partnership at the end there,” Mooney said.
“You’ve just got to run hard and I was pretty lucky I had a little bit in the tank there.”
The Aussies have now claimed the series with one game in hand and will take all momentum into Sunday’s final ODI, as well as into the upcoming Test and T20I series, to be played in Queensland over the coming weeks.
The Indians looked intent on evening the ledger after Australia comfortably chased down their total in the first ODI of the series.
The Aussies were on the back foot from the outset — Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma formed India’s most fruitful opening partnership in an ODI since March 2019.
Just as valuable, though, was wunderkind Richa Ghosh. In only her second ODI, the 17-year-old added 44 runs to India’s total and managed to steady the ship after three wickets fell in quick succession.
During the lead-up to the series, the Aussie coaching staff was confident that Ellyse Perry’s bowling was “as strong as it’s been”, but the 30-year-old was once again far from her dynamic best.
Perry hasn’t taken an ODI wicket since October 2019 and her dry spell will continue until at least Sunday.
In the absence of key bowling duo Jess Jonassen (injury) and Megan Schutt (personal reasons), the Aussie attack was forced to lean on its inexperienced members.
Sophie Molineux, McGrath and Darcie Brown came into the clash each with less than ten ODIs to their name, but were Australia’s only wicket-takers.
Brown couldn’t replicate her four-wicket heroics from the first match of the series — she bowled more overs than any of her teammates but had just the one wicket to show for it.
At the innings break, T20I star Molly Strano emphasised that the Aussies needed to stifle India’s momentum by producing a strong start in the power play.
The home side did just the opposite.
Healy was bowled only three balls into the innings for her first duck since 2016.
The five-year first clearly rattled the Aussies, who were timid and error-prone with the willow thereafter.
When fearsome trio Healy, Perry and Lanning fell, it was up to McGrath, Mooney and Carey to light the way home.
Fortunately, they were up for the challenge.
Originally published as Cricket ODI: Australia beats India in controversial finish to extend win streak
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