Australia managed to hold on to their two-point lead in the multi-format series but it was India who took the honours in the drawn standalone pink-ball Test, in Gold Coast yesterday, to stretch their unbeaten streak in the longest format to six matches.
After Australia decided to spice up the contest with a bold declaration at the stroke of dinner, having just avoided the follow-on, India added 135 for three to their existing lead of 136 that left the hosts with 272 to get in the final 32 overs of the rain-truncated game.
The hosts had their openers dismissed in quick succession but Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry safely saw them off to the final hour before the two captains decided to split the four points equally.
India's search for quick runs in the second session pushed Australia into a defensive approach and run-saving mode rather than wicket-taking one.
After consuming about three overs to get their eye in, openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma gave India a quick start, dealing mostly in boundaries.
Chief scores
India: 377/8 decl (Mandhana 127, Molineux 2/45) and 135/3 decl (Verma 52)
Australia: 241/9 decl (Perry 68 n.o, Vastrakar 3/49) and 36/2.
(Agencies)
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