Annabel Sutherland’s all-round brilliance has left Australia on the verge of a crushing Test victory over India in Perth.
The woeful tourists were 6-105 in their second innings at stumps on day two at the WACA Ground, still needing another 20 runs to make the Aussies bat again.
Having earlier in the day become the first Australian woman to score four Test centuries, Sutherland picked up another couple of wickets—after taking four in the first innings – under lights to ensure the tourists were reeling.
Debutant Lucy Hamilton took three wickets to continue the left-armer’s stellar introduction to the format.
India did itself few favours, with Jemimah Rodrigues’ top-edged attempted lap shot on 14 epitomising an awful display with the bat from her side.
Ellyse Perry had earlier on day two become Australia’s all-time leading runscorer in women’s Test cricket. Meanwhile Sutherland underscored her strong claim to being the best female cricketer on the planet by plundering another century in just her seventh Test, tormenting the tourists in close to 40 degree Perth heat.
Seamer Sayali Satghare picked up 4-50 for India who stemmed the bleeding to bowl Australia out early in the final session of day two at the WACA Ground for 323. No Aussie other than Perry or Sutherland reached 25.
But Hamilton, Sutherland and Darcie Brown made inroads, with retiring captain Alyssa Healy poised to go out on a high.
India needs to win the one-off Test to draw the multi-format series.
Sutherland reached triple figures with a top edge for four off seamer Kranti Gaud shortly after tea, eventually holing out off the bowling of Deepti Sharma for 129.
At just 24, Sutherland is a back-to-back winner of the Belinda Clark Award as Australia’s preeminent female player and has now made more Test tons than any other Aussie woman.
Perry made a mockery of pre-match concerns about her fitness, bringing up her half-century with a six over deep midwicket from Sneah Rana before dancing down the wicket to Sharma for a boundary to surpass Karen Rolton’s mark of 1002 Test runs.
However with a third Test century in sight, Perry fell to an overturned lbw review as Sharma struck with her off-breaks to end the statue-in-waiting’s knock on 76.
To watch Perry and Sutherland’s mastery of India’s attack highlighted the travesty of how little Test cricket they are afforded.
HAMILTON STARS IN DEBUT
– by Tyler Lewis
Australia’s young star wasted no time in announcing herself at Test level in Perth on Friday night.
Lucy Hamilton made an immediate splash on debut, leading Australia to a strong start on day one of their showpiece Test match against India at the WACA Ground.
The left-arm quick broke through early with the important wicket of Smriti Mandhana after Alyssa Healy won her final toss and fielded.
Hamilton’s second wicket was as significant as her first, fooling half-centurion Jemimah Rodrigues (52) into a leg side trap.
Rodrigues spearheaded the Indian recovery single-handedly and greeted leg-spinner Alana King by smashing her first four deliveries to the boundary.
But the star No. 4 was ultimately undone by Australia’s newcomer, who put the ball in a dangerous area all afternoon.
Hamilton went to the tea break of the pink-ball Test with figures of 3-31 off 11 overs, including three maidens.
India was 8-184.
Annabel Sutherland was at her brilliant best either side of the lunch break, claiming 3-38 off 14 overs with five maidens.
Sutherland had a chance at a fourth wicket but it was dropped by the typically-reliable Beth Mooney behind the stumps.
Ash Gardner and Darcie Brown also took a wicket each but the start of day one belonged to the rising young quick.
King briefly grabbed at her calf during her spell, causing some concern, but she returned before the break.
She had been patrolling the outfield before bowling in the extremely warm Perth conditions.
Australia was closing in on a tough batting period under lights but Rodrigues’ innings proved there was enough reward for application at the crease.