India women lose to Oz after last-over drama 

The pacer bowled two no balls — both high waist full tosses. The second one proved to be costly when the home team required three runs of the final ball.
Australian women's cricketer Beth Mooney (Photo | PTI)
Australian women's cricketer Beth Mooney (Photo | PTI)

BENGALURU:  Big players, irrespective of the sport, have cracked under pressure in the past. And on Friday, it was India pacer Jhulan Goswami, who suffered the same fate in the final over where Australia needed 13 runs to win the second ODI at Mackay. The pacer bowled two no balls — both high waist full tosses. The second one proved to be costly when the home team required three runs of the final ball.

Off the original final ball, Goswami had Nicola Carey caught at mid-wicket. India had thought they had won the match by two runs only for the video umpire to rule it as a no-ball. The rejoiocing Indian players had their celebrations cut short in the rudest of fashions. It was a close call and the decision could have gone either way. It also meant Australia had to score two runs in what was the eighth ball of the over, and Carey scampered for a couple to break Indian hearts as Meg Lanning and C.o won the match by five wickets, stretching their streak to 26 matches. They have now won the series 2-0 with the third and final ODI to be played on Sunday.

“We have not seen the ball (second no-ball of the final over) yet. As a team we were on the field. On the field it is very hard to judge if the ball is waist high no ball or not... Definitely we will have a look at it, but those things, when it goes in your favour, you are very happy. I wouldn’t add up to the controversy about anything as I have not seen the ball yet,” said Smriti Mandhana.

In fact, after the completion of the 49th over, some of the players were involved in a serious discussion as to who should be given the last over. They also had the option of giving the ball to the spinners, but with it being the deciding over, they went ahead with the experience of Goswami, but it did not work as planned.
“We were discussing whether we should go for spin or we should go with Jhulan with the last over.

We stuck with the experience of Jhulan di, because there was so much dew so we felt it was better for the pacer to come in,” said Mandhana. Forget the disappointment of the last over, it was a game which India should have won much before considering Australia were 52/4 after 16 overs. 

Brief scores: India women 274/7 in 50 ovs (S Mandhana 86, R Ghosh 44) lost to Australia women 275/5 in 50 ovs (B Mooney 125 n.o., T McGrath 74).

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com