Perth, March 7 (IANS) Annabel Sutherland smashed a masterful 129 to put Australia in command of the pink-ball Test against India, as the hosts extended their lead to 112 runs at the dinner break on day two’s play, despite a determined effort from the visitors to stay in the contest.

The session majorly belonged to Annabel, who reached her fourth Test century off 133 deliveries and became the first Australian woman to score four hundreds in the format and the first to record three tons in succession.

Her innings laced with 17 boundaries was marked by patience and authority, mixing crisp drives with calculated aggression, and she passed 700 career Test runs in the process. Annabel’s dismissal – caught at long-on by Harmanpreet Kaur off Deepti Sharma – came after she had anchored Australia’s middle order through a tricky passage, as India fought back with a cluster of wickets.

Beth Mooney’s scratchy 19 ended with a chip to short extra cover, Ashleigh Gardner was bowled for one, and Smriti Mandhana pulled off a sharp catch at short leg to remove Tahlia McGrath for 13. Those strikes briefly lifted India’s hopes, but Annabel’s dominance ensured Australia’s advantage grew steadily.

Debutant Lucy Hamilton (12 not out) and hometown favourite Alana King (21 not out) frustrated India further by stitching together a 33-run stand for the ninth wicket. Their resistance came after India opted for the new ball under lights, with Kashvee Gautam and Kranti Gaud having a go first with the fresh pink ball.

But they failed to deliver the breakthroughs India needed, as Australia crossed the 300 mark and tightened their grip on the match. India’s bowlers, led by Deepti and Kranti, kept probing but were undermined by poor decision making in reviews and them looking short of ideas in bowling under lights.

With two wickets still in hand and the lead already past hundred, Australia will aim to push the advantage further in the evening session. For India, early strikes after the break are essential to prevent the deficit from becoming too big.

Brief Scores: India 198 in 62.4 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 52; Annabel Sutherland 4-46) trail Australia 310/8 in 88 overs (Annabel Sutherland 129, Ellyse Perry 76; Sayali Satghare 2-38, Kranti Gaud 2-63) by 112 runs

–IANS

nr/