India A Women produced a composed run chase to defeat Australia A Women by four wickets with 10 balls remaining in the third One-Day at Mohali on September 25. In a contest dominated by the bat, Australia A Women posted 362/9 from their 50 overs after a century from Charli Knott and a 95-run contribution from Courtney Webb. India A Women, however, responded with an equally aggressive batting display, reaching 364/6 in 48.2 overs, with Minnu Mani’s unbeaten 88 and Niki Prasad’s 76 forming the backbone of the chase.
Australia A Women began their innings positively through Rachel Trenaman and captain Tahlia Wilson, who put together 75 runs for the opening wicket. Wilson struck six fours in her 38-ball 38 before both batters were dismissed in quick succession. Vaishnavi Sharma provided India A Women with their first breakthrough, removing Wilson at 75 and then Trenaman for 29 at 76. The early wickets briefly gave India A Women an opening, but Australia A Women soon regained control through an outstanding third-wicket partnership.
Courtney Webb and Charli Knott transformed the innings with a huge 166-run partnership. Webb combined timing with controlled aggression, eventually scoring 95 from 92 balls with seven fours, while Knott attacked from the other end. Her innings of 109 from just 70 deliveries included 12 fours and five sixes and gave Australia A Women the momentum they needed. The partnership took the visitors from 76/2 to 242/3 before Knott was dismissed by Niki Prasad in the 33rd over.
Webb continued to anchor the innings, although wickets began to fall around her. Katie Mack contributed 11 from 18 balls before being dismissed at 268, while Webb eventually fell for 95 at 338. Nicole Faltum added a brisk 22 from 21 deliveries, and Sienna Ginger chipped in with 16 from 13 balls. Hayley Silver-Holmes then provided a late burst, smashing 19 from only eight balls, including two fours and a six. Frankie Nicklin remained unbeaten on four, while Lilly Mills was dismissed for a duck. Australia A Women finished on 362/9, with 19 extras also contributing to the total.
For India A Women, Vaishnavi Sharma and Niki Prasad were the standout bowlers, claiming four wickets apiece. Sharma finished with 4/48 from her 10 overs, while Prasad returned 4/84. Minnu Mani bowled a disciplined 10-over spell for 56 runs, and Amandeep Kaur conceded 62 from nine overs while taking no wickets. Akshita Bhagat gave away 36 in her five overs, while Jintimani Kalita conceded 56 from five overs. Tanisha Singh bowled one over for 15. India A Women’s bowling attack had to withstand a heavy scoring rate, but their eight combined wickets kept the chase within reach.
India A Women began their response with Dinesh Vrinda and Tanisha Singh adding 67 for the first wicket. Vrinda scored 34 from 31 balls, hitting six fours, before being dismissed by Frankie Nicklin. Uma Chetry was unable to stay for long, making two from eight balls, while Tejal Hasabnis also scored only two before being dismissed by Lilly Mills. With India A Women reduced to 85/3, the chase required a substantial partnership.
That responsibility was taken up by Tanisha Singh and Anushka Sharma. Tanisha played an attacking innings of 60 from 58 balls, hitting 11 fours, while Anushka Sharma struck four fours and three sixes in her 42-ball 58. Their 34-run partnership helped India A Women stabilise before Tanisha was dismissed for 60 with the score on 119.
Anushka then combined with Niki Prasad, and the pair added 91 runs for the fifth wicket. Prasad was particularly aggressive, scoring 76 from 71 balls with 10 fours and a six. Anushka eventually fell for 58 at 210, but Prasad continued to keep the required rate under control. Her dismissal at 317 brought Minnu Mani to the crease, setting up the defining phase of the chase.
Mani took the innings to another level. She remained unbeaten on 88 from just 56 balls, striking 12 fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 157.14. Alongside Prasad, she added 107 runs before Prasad was run out by Hayley Silver-Holmes at 317. Rather than allowing the pressure to build, Mani continued attacking and found an able partner in Jintimani Kalita, who remained unbeaten on 19 from 19 balls.
The unbeaten seventh-wicket partnership between Mani and Kalita produced 47 runs and carried India A Women over the line in 48.2 overs. Minnu Mani’s 88 not out was ultimately the defining innings of the chase, while Kalita’s composed 19 ensured there was no late collapse.
Australia A Women’s bowling effort was led by Lilly Mills, who claimed 2/81 from 10 overs, and Charli Knott, who returned 2/57 from eight overs. Frankie Nicklin took one wicket for 67 runs from seven overs, while Tayla Vlaeminck bowled six overs for 26 runs, including one maiden, without taking a wicket. Hayley Silver-Holmes conceded 70 from nine overs, while Sienna Ginger gave away 57 from 8.2 overs. Despite the high-scoring conditions, India’s batting depth ultimately allowed them to chase down Australia’s imposing 363-run target.
The result capped a remarkable batting contest in Mohali, with Australia A Women scoring 362/9 before India A Women replied with 364/6 in 48.2 overs. Knott’s 109 and Webb’s 95 gave Australia a formidable platform, but India’s response featured crucial contributions throughout the order before Mani’s unbeaten 88 completed the chase with 10 deliveries to spare.
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Source: femalecricket.com
