India takes control of rain-interrupted Test match after Smriti Mandhana masterclass

Australian captain Meg Lanning was left to rue a tactical blunder as the Indians took control of the rain-interrupted Test match.

A classy half-century from India’s Smriti Mandhana put the tourists in control of the historic pink-ball Test match against Australia before torrential rain prematurely ended day one on the Gold Coast.

Mandhana was unbeaten on 80 at stumps, with Australia’s inexperienced bowling attack managing just one wicket at Metricon Stadium on Thursday.

Australia named four debutants in its starting XI for the highly-anticipated contest – 18-year-old Darcie Brown, 19-year-old Stella Campbell, 19-year-old Annabel Sutherland and 22-year-old Georgia Wareham.

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Meg Lanning, captaining her first Test match on home soil, won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that quickly backfired for the Australians.

Indian openers Shafali Verma and Mandhana smacked 70 runs in the first 15 overs of the innings, feasting on anything that was short and wide.

Australia’s young bowlers, who are far more accustomed to the shorter formats, lacked consistency in the afternoon session as Mandhana quickly reached her third Test fifty in just 51 balls.

It was a near faultless innings from the elegant 25-year-old, who was particularly dangerous square of the wicket. Batting errors were few and far between during the first hour of play – edges rarely carried to the slip cordon, and the ball stopped swinging after a handful of overs.

Captain Lanning chose to bowl first on this...#AUSvINDpic.twitter.com/xFQHQNd5nh

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) September 30, 2021

Victorian spinner Sophie Molineux immediately had an impact, finding the outside edge of Verma’s bat with her second delivery of the match. Unfortunately, Lanning was unable to snatch the difficult chance at first slip.

Molineux created another opportunity in her second over – Verma looked to attack the left-arm tweaker but instead smacked the pink Kookaburra directly towards Sutherland at mid-on.

However, the teenage debutant spilled what would have been a regulation catch by her own standards.

Verma’s luck ran out soon after when she spooned a simple catch for Tahlia McGrath at mid-off, making her way back to the pavilion for 31.

Australian spinners Ash Gardner and Molineux stemmed the flow of runs before the dinner break, at which point India was 1/101 after 33 overs.

But only a further 11 overs would be played on the opening day, with heavy rain setting in over the Gold Coast venue.

Australia celebrates the dismissal of Shafali Verma. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“We didn‘t adjust quick enough. We built some pressure but missed chances and let them off in that regard,” Lanning told ABC Grandstand after stumps.

“The wicket was a bit slower than we were hoping out there. It’s been an interesting first day.

“We thought with Darcie and Stella playing that we‘d be in a good position to take 20 wickets, but it probably hasn’t panned out as well as we’d like today.

“Hopefully we can utilise the conditions better tomorrow.”

Molineux was undeniably pick of the bowlers for Australia, finishing day one with figures of 1/18 off nine overs. Gardner, meanwhile, conceded just 14 runs from her 10.1 overs.

India will resume on day two at 1/132, with Punam Raut not out overnight on 16.

Originally published as India takes control of rain-interrupted Test match after Smriti Mandhana masterclass