Shafali, Bist make fifties as India Women A move ahead of Australia

BRISBANE: India A women survived a hundred by Sianna Ginger and Amy Edgar’s four-wicket haul to take a good grip over Australia A on the penultimate day of the four-day lone unofficial Test here on Saturday.

India A closed the day at 260 for eight, for an overall lead of 254 runs, after opener Shafali Verma (52) and middle-order batter Raghavi Bist (86) made fighting half-centuries.

Earlier, Australia, starting from overnight 158 for five, posted 305 in their first innings to take a slender lead of six runs.

Ginger, overnight 24, helped the home side recover from a shaky 158 for five, in the company of late order batters with a gritty 103 off 138 balls.

Ginger and Nicole Faltum added 102 runs for a determined sixth wicket stand as Australia managed to overhaul India’s total.

Off-spinner Edgar (4/53) kept striking at regular intervals but Shafali first and then Bist were involved in small but significant alliances to keep India going.

The most important among them was a 68-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Bist and Tanusree Sarkar.

Bist eventually fell to Edgar with just seven overs remaining in the day for a well-made fifty off 119 balls.

Brief scores: India A: 299 all out and 260/8 in 73 overs (Shafali Verma 52, Raghavi Bist 86; Amy Edgar 4/53) vs Australia A: 305 all out in 76.2 overs (Sianna Ginger 103, Nicole Faltum 54; Saima Thakor 3/31, Radha Yadav 2/68).