Smriti Mandhana scores maiden century before Australia peg India back in rain-hit day-night Test
India close day two of rain-hit day-night Test against Australia on 276-5; Smriti Mandhana notches first Test hundred and highest score by a visiting female player in Australia; India batter Punam Raut walks off despite being given not out by umpire Phillip Gillespie
Friday 1 October 2021 12:39, UK
Smriti Mandhana completed her maiden Test hundred and the highest score by a visiting female player in Australia before the hosts pegged India back on another rain-hit day of the day-night Test.
India opener Mandhana progressed from her overnight to 80 to 127 on day two in Carrara, passing the 124 not out England's Molly Hide had notched in Sydney back in 1949.
The 25-year-old was given a reprieve from the second ball she faced on Friday, with Australia seamer Ellyse Perry overstepping as the batter cut a full toss to Beth Mooney at point.
Mandhana went on to reach three figures from 170 balls by pulling Perry for four, one of 23 boundaries - 22 fours and one six - she racked up during a sparkling innings.
The left-hander was eventually caught by Tahlia McGrath off Ashleigh Gardner at short extra-cover and India subsequently slipped from 195-1 to 274-5 at Metricon Stadium.
The players were taken from the field two runs later due to lightning and there was then a heavy, day-ending downpour meaning just 101.5 overs have been bowled across the first two days of the four-day clash.
There was a strange moment on day two when Punam Raut (36) walked off despite being given not out by umpire Phillip Gillespie as Australia appealed for a caught-behind dismissal off Sophie Molineux.
With DRS not in operation in this match, Raut would have survived had she stood her ground.
Raut - who shared a second-wicket stand of 102 with Mandhana before the latter was second out - was followed back into the pavilion by Yastika Bhatia (19) and captain Mithali Raj (30).
Yastika was caught by a diving Mooney at gully as Ellyse Perry picked up her first wicket of the multi-format series having failed to strike in the three one-day internationals.
Raj - who had been dropped on 23 by Mooney at gully as Australia grassed a fourth catch in the innings - was then run out by Annabel Sutherland's direct hit from short midwicket.
There is still time for a result to be forced with 108 overs scheduled to be bowled across the final two days.
Australia lead the multi-format series 4-2 after winning two of the three ODIs.
