Day/Night Test: Smriti Mandhana scores career-best 80*; India reach 132/1 as rain forces early stumps

Gold Coast, Sep 30: India's star opener Smriti Mandhana scored her career-best 80 not out as the Indian women's cricket team reached 132 for 1 before the umpires signalled the end of the day's play early as not much play could be held due to a rain-hit stop-start second session on the opening day of the one-off Day/Night Test against Australia here on Thursday (September 30). With the two sessions almost getting washed out on day one, the play will begin 30 minutes early.

Mandhana, who peppered the off-side field repeatedly with some gorgeous shots to reach 80 off 144 balls with 15 boundaries, added 93 for the opening stand with Shafali Verma (31 off 64 balls), who played the second fiddle during their partnership.

Mandhana's entire knock was elegance personified as the left-handed batter played some of her favourite strokes towards the off-side in her knock before bad weather stopped play.

Most of the second session's play was washed out but Mandhana added another 16 runs to surpass her previous best of 78. She pulled Tahlia McGrath for a six over deep square leg and also carted the same bowler over mid-wicket for a boundary.

India Women vs Australia Women: Mandhana scores fluent 70* before bad weather stops play

Giving her company is Punam Raut (16 batting, 57 balls) and they have added 39 runs for the unbroken second-wicket stand. The Australian team's decision to field first after laying a green strip for the visitors did seem to have backfired as Mandhana attacked them straight away during the first hour of play.

In fact, it was a case of role reversal which perhaps caught the Australians off-guard as Shafali was more intent on playing a defensive game while her senior partner attacked with great gusto.

Debutant Darcie Brown got some special punishment as Mandhana hit her for a number of boundaries both on the off-side as well as a few whip shots on the leg-side. Ellyse Perry also took a few overs to find the right length. The elegant Indian left-hander reached her run-a-ball fifty in no time with a cover drive of McGrath.

Whenever Mandhana bisected between point and cover or cover or mid-off, it was the most pleasant sight. In case of Shafali, she did hit four boundaries but also looked a bit scratchy and offered a couple of chances -- one to Meg Lanning in the slips which was a reflex catch and the other to Annabel Sutherland stationed at mid-on.

Finally, she was gone trying to hit left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux against the turn and offered a sitter to McGrath at mid-off.

(With PTI inputs)