India v Australia
Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi: 21st – 23rd January 1984
In the first Test match ever played on Indian soil between the two countries, in cool to mild conditions, mixed with a hint of fog, Shantha Rangaswamy won the toss and elected to bat.
Karen Price opened the bowling with Denise Martin and it was slow going before Garji Banerjee was bowled by Price for 24. The two Lyns, Larsen and Fullston, combined for the next wicket, Vrinda Bhagat c Larsen b Fullson 9 to place India at 2/40.
The Indians were in no hurry and it was Fullston and Price who bowled many of the overs. Six bowlers were used in all before India were all out for 185 from 81 overs. Shubhangi Kulkarni top scored with 42, while Fullston took 4-54 and Price 4-52. At stumps on Day one, Australia were 1/57, having lost Lindsay Reeler for 32.
India threw all of their eggs into the spin bowling department, Diana Edulji being the pick of the bowlers, although Kulkarni threatened. Through Peta Verco (81) and Trish Dawson (72) Australia overhauled the Indian total and were all out for 263. It should have been more. But for Larsen’s 25, there was very little else to speak of with the lower order, however Australia scored at a considerably faster rate than the Indians, getting their total in 87.3 overs. Edjuli snared 6-64.
The Indians batted well in the second innings, with Banerjee scoring a half century, but overall the batting was very slow and when Rangaswamy’s declaration came at 9/240 it left Australia nine overs to bat out the match. There was no real intent to force the pace, as reported in the Statesman:
“The only possibility of a result depended on an early declaration by Indian captain, Shanta Rangaswamy. But being the first Test she obviously wanted her players to get maximum practice against the Australian bowling.”
Kennare reversed the batting order for those few overs to give her own players a bit of batting practice.
India 185 (Kulkarni 42, Jogalekar 41, Price 4/52, Fullston 4/54) and 240 (Banerjee 63, Fullston 3/41) drew with Australia 263 (Verco 81, Dawson 72, Edjuli 6/64) and 1/19