In a thrilling battle between Australia A and India A, the visitors put up a valiant effort with fifties from Raghvi Bist and Tejal Hasabnis, only to see their efforts go in vain as they collapsed from 176 for 3 to 218 all out. The Australians emerged victorious in the end, with Maddy Darke’s unbeaten 106 and Katie Mack’s 68 guiding them to a comfortable eight-wicket win in the second one-dayer in Mackay.
The match started off with Tayla Vlaeminck’s brilliant opening spell, where she picked up a crucial wicket with just three runs conceded in four overs. Nicola Hancock and Charli Knott also made significant contributions with the ball, helping to trigger India A’s downfall.
Bist and Hasabnis fought hard in the middle overs, crafting a crucial 124-run partnership for the fourth wicket. However, the Australian bowlers turned the game around with quick wickets, leaving India A struggling to post a competitive total.
In response, Mack and Darke got Australia A off to a flying start, taking advantage of loose deliveries and running well between the wickets. Mack reached her fifty in the 16th over, while Darke followed suit in the 21st over on their way to setting up a comfortable chase for the home team.
Despite a brief fightback from the Indian bowlers, McGrath’s aggressive batting and Darke’s steady presence at the crease ensured Australia A reached the target with plenty of overs to spare.
With this victory, Australia A have now taken an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the three-match series, after having already swept the T20I series 3-0. The visitors will have a chance to redeem themselves in the final ODI at the Gold Coast on Monday, where they will hope to salvage some pride.
