Pink-ball Test: Shafali scores fifty as visitors extend lead to 242 by Tea as draw looks imminent

In the second session of Day Four of the ongoing pink-ball Test at the Carrara Oval in Queensland on Sunday, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana scored quickly as India increased their advantage to 242 runs.

India's score at the tea break was 106/2, with a lead of 242 runs. Shafali (51*) and Punam Raut (16*) are still at the crease for the visitors. India got off to a strong start in their second innings after resuming with a 136-run lead, as the opening pair of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhan put on 51 runs in the first 14 overs.

With the visitors leading by 206 runs, Sophie Molineux dismissed Mandhana (31) in the 18th over, bringing an end to the 70-run opening stand.

Yastika Bhatia (3) failed to make an impact with the bat and was dismissed by Ashleigh Gardner in the 21st over, lowering India to 74/2. Punam Raut and Shafali, in the end, ensured that the visitors did not lose any more wickets before tea.

Meg Lanning, Australia's captain, declared the innings at 241/9, still down by 136 runs, just before the dinner break. Ellyse Perry (67*) stayed undefeated for the hosts.

With the score on Day 4 at 143/4, overnight batswomen Ashleigh Gardner and Ellyse Perry battled it out in the middle, refusing to let India bowlers get any early wickets.

Perry became the first Australian woman to achieve four successive fifty-plus scores in Test cricket as a consequence of her half-century. In the 79th over, the 91-run partnership for the fifth wicket came to an end.

Gardner (51) was sent back to the pavilion by Deepti Sharma. Annabel Sutherland (3) failed to make an impact with the bat as her innings was dismissed by Meghna Singh in the 84th over, reducing Australia to 216/6.

Meghna kept probing with her line and length, which led in the dismissal of Sophie Molineux (2), putting Australia in trouble at 220/7. Pooja Vastrakar next entered the fray, defeating Georgia Wareham (2), leaving Australia five runs short of avoiding the follow-on.

In the end, Australia was able to escape a follow-on. Deepti Sharma next dismissed Darcie Brown (8) in the 96th over, reducing Australia to 240/9.

Soon after, Australia captain Lanning chose to declare the innings, despite the fact that they were still 136 runs behind. India declared their innings at 377/8 on the third day of the current Test after Smriti Mandhana top-scored with 127 runs.

India 377/8 d and 106/2 (Shafali Verma 51*, Smriti Mandhana 31, Ashleigh Gardner 1-); Australia 241/9 d (Ellyse Perry 67*, Ashleigh Gardner 51, Pooja Vastrakar 3-49)