Harmanpreet's 'magical golden arm' sets up fascinating final day of lone Test vs Aussies

On the field as a substitute, Harleen Deol was shining the ball vigorously as Rajeshwari Gayakwad walked to the top of her run-up. After toiling away for a couple of hours, India had finally broken Australia’s third-wicket partnership in the previous over. With their first innings lead quickly evaporating, the hosts were desperate to strike another blow as Harleen kissed the ball for good luck before tossing it to Rajeshwari.

- Aditya Chaturvedi

In a way, that moment summed up the day. It was a day of attritional cricket, with the momentum shifting back and forth, as both teams worked tirelessly and tried everything under the scorching sun to get ahead.

Harmanpreet Kaur and Co had a lead of 157 runs at the start of Day 3 of the one-off Test against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium here on Saturday. But after another 97.3 overs of play, it was the Aussies who headed into the final day with a 46-run lead. Tahlia McGrath became the first visiting batter to register a half-century in both innings of a women’s Test in India, while skipper Harmanpreet provided a crucial double blow to bring her team back into the contest.

Since the start of the Test against England last week, one of the biggest positives for India was their bowling. They dismissed Heather Knight’s team cheaply in both innings and even wrapped up Australia’s first innings for a modest total. This time, however, they faced a real test. For the first time in the six days of cricket across the two games, India were made to grind.

Bizarre dismissals