Aus W vs Ind W: Didn't expect a no-ball, says Mithali Raj
Sep 24, 2021
Mackay [Australia], September 24 : Indian women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj stated that she didn't expect the last ball of the match to be a no-ball against Australia in the second ODI of the three-match series at the Ray Mitchell Oval, Harrup Park, on Friday.
Beth Mooney rose to the challenge like a pro and hit a brilliant unbeaten 125 to help Australia chase the massive target of 274 in the 50 overs. It was drama all around as the sixth ball of the final over was called a no-ball by the third umpire and Jhulan Goswami had to re-bowl it. And that saw Australia scoring the winning runs and keeping their winning streak alive -- 26 games now.
Mithali Raj during the post-match presentation said: "This was a great game of cricket from both the teams. It was a great cricket display with almost 550 runs scored. We still want to win the next game, I don't say it's a dead rubber. The batting department has done well, Smriti and Richa have played well."
"For me it was a nervous last ball because anything could have happened. Didn't expect a no-ball, but it's a game after all. We were edge of our seats on the last ball. We definitely will continue to put up a show like we did today," she added.
The loss will be a bitter pill to swallow for India, who thought they had squared the series at 1-1. The marginal waist-high no-ball call is sure to be debated for days now. For now, it is Australia who have taken a 2-0 lead in this multi-format series, and leave India with lots of work to do.