Ellyse Perry in brutal moment as India frustrate Australia in women's cricket Test

India built a big lead over Australia on the second day of the women's cricket Test in Mumbai, as the wheels started to fall off for the Aussies. Ellyse Perry dropped an absolute sitter of a catch, before new captain Alyssa Healy showed her frustrations over India's tactics.

The Aussies were left with a mountain to climb at Wankhede Stadium after an unbroken 102-run partnership between Deepti Sharma and Pooja Vastrakar took India to 7-376 at stumps on day two. Sharma was 70 not out and Vastrakar 33 not out at the close of play after they came together just before tea in Mumbai on Friday.

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The partnership came on the back of a collapse of 4-14 sparked by Ash Gardner, which had India 7-274 in response to Australia's 219. But Sharma and Vastrakar put India firmly back in control to push their lead past 150 at stumps on the second day.

The Aussies appeared rattled and produced some uncharacteristic mistakes, with Perry dropping a simple catch off Richa Ghosh early in her innings. Ghosh made Perry pay for the error at mid-off, going on to make 52 before she was dismissed by Kim Garth.

It continued a difficult few days for Perry, who was dismissed second ball for just four - her shortest innings in a Test match. She only bowled four overs on Thursday, going for a whopping 31 runs, and wasn't used with the ball on Friday.

Ghosh also got under Healy's skin when she decided to stand on the same side of the pitch as bowler Annabel Sutherland because Healy had placed a fielder at short mid-on. Ghosh didn't want to be blocked by the fielder so she moved over to the same side that Sutherland was bowling from, sparking complaints from Healy to the umpires.

Ash Gardner sparks collapse before India fight back in Test

Gardner (4-100) single-handedly dragged Australia back into the contest just before tea in the first Test between these two teams on Indian soil since 1984. With India cruising at 3-260 Gardner took a catch at deep square-leg to dismiss Ghosh, which triggered a flurry of wickets.

Gardner struck twice in as many overs with balls that kept low on the dusty surface, trapping India captain Harmanpreet Kaur (0) and wicket-keeper Yastika Bhatia (one) - both lbw. She then grabbed the big scalp of Jemimah Rodrigues for 72, who hit a catch to Sutherland in the covers to leave India at 7-274 and only 55 ahead.

But any thoughts of dismissing India relatively cheaply were doused by Sharma and Vastrakar, whose partnership took the game away from Australia, who now seemingly need a miracle to get a result. The Aussies had no answers to Sharma's class and Vastrakar's heart, with the duo leaving the hosts well placed to notch their first-ever win over Australia in women's Test matches.

Smriti Mandhana top-scored with an attacking 74 while opening the batting before being run out just before lunch. On Thursday, new vice-captain Tahlia McGrath (50 off 56 balls), Healy (38) and tail-ender Garth (28 not out) were the only Australian batters to impress against a potent Indian attack led by seamer Vastrakar, who took a career-best 4-53.

with AAP

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