Australia 275 for 5 (Mooney 125*, McGrath 74, Carey 39*) defeated India Women 274 for 7 (Mandhana 86, Ghosh 44, Goswami 28*; McGrath 3-45, Molineux 2-28) by five wickets
It was a heist that would have made Danny Ocean proud.
Lanning’s Eleven - with Beth Mooney in the starring role - pulled off the most audacious victory of their record winning streak in a match that shredded nerves to a pulp and sent emotions soaring or plummeting.
The scorecard may record that Australia won the second One-Day International by five wickets; for those who watched as India celebrated victory and then had it denied in a dramatic, chaotic conclusion such a cool description of ‘five-wicket win’ will never do.
Not since the 2019 Men’s World Cup Final have we seen such a finish.
The final over was anarchy, all eight balls of it. Australia, with Mooney and Nicola Carey in the middle, needed thirteen runs for victory and India’s captain Mithali Raj called on the veteran Jhulan Goswami, mighty for India with both the bat and the new ball, to see them home.
The first two balls yielded five, an overthrow and a misfield the culprits as the pressure told on India’s fielders.
The third was perilous, a beamer that speared into Carey’s helmet when the dew-laden ball slipped out of Goswami’s hand and left the batter rattled but undeterred.
Next came a single off a bye as Mooney, alert and fleet-footed at the non-striker’s end, scampered through to take up the strike from her shaken partner.
Mooney has played a pivotal role in big matches before, not least Australia’s victory over India in last year’s T20 World Cup Final.
But it was another final that came to mind as she blew hard and dropped to her haunches between deliveries.
In the 2019 WBBL final between Brisbane Heat and Sydney Sixers, Mooney batted through illness; her face was the colour of beetroot, drinks and ice packs were sent out at regular intervals - heck, she actually vomited between balls.
Such occasions have prepared her for moments like these.
The hard running continued for the next two balls and it was Carey on strike for what should have been the last of the match, three runs needed for victory.
When she slapped a full toss straight to Yastika Bhatia, the Mackay night air was filled with India’s exultant cries; game over, series levelled.
But there was one final, inconceivable twist to a match that by most measures was completely, utterly bonkers.
Third umpire Phillip Gillespie was called on to adjudicate if the ball was above waist height.
The result of the match tipped one way and the other with each rock and roll of the replay.
It could have gone either way but he no ball signal was given and a tide of social media outrage/relief unleashed.
Two runs off the last ball sealed an Australian victory that was India’s only moments before and the heist was complete; the Bellagio’s security team never saw it coming.
But, while the final scenes will linger long in the memory, it’s worth reflecting on what came before.
This was a vastly improved performance by India from the moment they were sent into bat.
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma motored stylishly through the powerplay in a partnership that delivered 74 runs in 11 overs and deftly saw off Australia’s new ball attack.
But questions hover over Raj, who chewed up 23 balls for just 8 runs.
The India captain had made half-centuries in her previous five ODI appearances but, as is the case all-too-often, it felt as if the life had been sucked out of India’s innings by Raj’s conservative approach.
Raj is a giant of the game but her approach to batting looks increasingly out of date, so much so it seemed a blessing in disguise when a mix up between her and Mandhana led to a dismal run out; her position in the side leading into next year’s World Cup will continue to be a point of contention with performances like this.
To emphasise the point further, India’s innings roared back to life thanks to the middle and lower order, particularly the impressive aggression of Richa Ghosh and Goswami, leaving Australia chasing their highest target since 2017.
Goswami and Meghna Singh worked magic with the new ball and the sight of it swinging and singing under lights brought tantalising thoughts of what a pink ball in such conditions might do in the upcoming day-night Test.
There were balls that were simply unplayable; how often do you see Meg Lanning beaten so often on the inside and outside edge?
Alyssa Healy was the victim of a beauty from Goswami that curved in and scythed between bat and pad to shatter the stumps and, when Lanning top edged Singh and Ellyse Perry was run out by a stunning direct hit by Pooja Vastrakar, Australia were 3 for 34 and on the ropes.
India may look at the middle overs and question if they let the game drift; Mooney was somewhat stymied but Tahlia McGrath took on the role of aggressor to the spinners and kept the required run rate just in check.
Mooney and Carey’s running between the wickets did the same through a period of nearly six boundary-free overs and India’s fielding - with fumbles and dropped catches - played a part; this may be worth remembering when debating the validity of that no ball decision.
But, ultimately, Mooney’s innings was the difference.
Whether it was running herself almost literally into the ground, the trust she put in Carey when giving her the strike at the death, or the calculated risks she took to keep the target within reach, Mooney - only elevated to open the batting because of an injury to Rachael Haynes - showed once more she is a player who excels under extreme pressure.
Perhaps there is a bigger picture at play here, too.
Australia has appeared in numerous World Cup finals in the past ten years but their players have also been hardened by six seasons of the WBBL while India are still deprived of an equivalent domestic competition.
In this context it is easier to understand why India panicked in the pressure-cooked final overs as they dithered over fielding positions and floundered in the field; Australia are not the best team in the world by accident and their composure and self belief are key factors in this astonishing streak, now standing at 26.
Whether they make it 27 in the final ODI remains to be seen but, after the sheer entertainment of this heist flick, the sequel should be a belter.
