IND W vs. AUS W, Special Test: Beth Mooney cognitive decline results in an odd run-out

On the third day of the special test, Australia’s Beth Mooney was controversially dismissed at the Wankhede Stadium. That was the moment that left the seasoned left-hander, who has often been a pain in India’s side, blushing and scratching her head.

When Sneh Rana produced a full ball in the twelfth over, Beth Mooney swiftly played it to Richa Ghosh at a silly point, setting off the incident. Renowned for her prowess behind the wickets, debutant Richa showed great awareness by quickly picking up the ball and releasing it, leading to an odd run-out. But Mooney had just walked out of the crease, obviously lost in the moment, not even looking for the ball.

When Beth Mooney finally realized what had happened, it was too late; Rcha’s acute understanding was evident, a stark contrast to Mooney’s ignorance, and the Indians were celebrating their surprise wicket.

When it comes to brain fades they don’t come much worse than this

Beth Mooney run out in AUS’s second innings in Mumbai

#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/B6Fo96Q8Uv

— Glenn Mitchell (@MitchellGlenn) December 23, 2023

The unorthodox dismissals of opening batsmen in the present Test match, which began with Mooney’s run-out, signalled an odd pattern. When Phoebe Litchfield mishandled the ball and ended up with a Diamond Duck in the first inning, Mooney was left holding the bag.

In the meantime, India maintained their dominant position, concluding Day 2 with a lead of 157 runs at stumps. Australia had a good start to the morning session, having closed out the Indian innings at 406. That seemed to be Australia’s session to seize control, but Mooney’s ejection turned out to be the unanticipated turning point.

As of this writing, Australia has lost two wickets and amassed 121 runs in their second innings. Ellyse Perry and Tahlia McGrath, with scores of 29 and 36, respectively, are the players currently at the crease.