Aus W vs Ind W, pink-ball Test: Mandhana, Shafali put visitors off to flying start (Dinner, Day 1)

Queensland [Australia], September 30 (ANI): India openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma brought out their attacking A-game to the middle to frustrate Australia in the opening session of Day 1 of the one-off pink-ball Test here at the Carrara Oval in Queensland on Thursday.

At the break, India's score read 101/1 with Mandhana (64*) and Punam Raut (1*) unbeaten at the crease.

Earlier, Meg Lanning-led Australia won the toss and opted to bowl in the one-off pink-ball Test. Sent into bat, the visitors got off to a rollicking start as openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana put on 43 runs inside the first ten overs. Mandhana made full use of wide deliveries being bowled to her and she kept on dispatching the loose balls for boundaries.

Mandhana kept on marching ahead and she brought up her half-century in the 15th over of the innings. This was Mandhana's third score of fifty-plus in Test cricket. In the first two overs, Australia's fielding was dismal, to say the least, as they dropped quite a few chances and both openers got quite a few reprieves.

The 93-run opening stand finally came to an end in the 26th over as Sophie Molineux sent Shafali (31) back to the pavilion. In the end, Mandhana and Raut ensured that the visitors do not lose any more wickets before the interval.

Brief Scores: India 101/1 (Smriti Mandhana 64*, Shafali Verma 31; Sophie Molineux 1-18) vs Australia. (ANI)