The Indian women’s cricket team came up with a comprehensive, record-setting win over England in the one-off Test match at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Saturday.
The hosts declared from their overnight score of 186/6 to set a 479-run target for England. The Indians then proceeded to bowl out England for 131 to win the Test by 347 runs – a new record for the biggest margin of victory (by runs) in women’s Test cricket.
England got their second innings off to a decent start with Tammy Beaumont and Sophia Dunkley looking in decent form. But a batting collapse started as Renuka Singh Thakur got the better of Beaumont to rattle the stumps.
Pooja Vastrakar then came into the attack. Dunkley lashed at a delivery pitched outside off, but her shot went straight to substitute fielder Harleen Deol at backward point who took a sharp catch.
Deol had come to field in place of Shubha Satheesh, who suffered a broken finger and had been ruled out of the remainer of the match.
On the next ball, Vastrakar got the better of Nat Sciver-Brunt with an in-swinging delivery that breached the English batter’s defence and sent her off-stump flying.
Captain Heather Knight and Danni Wyatt began to set up the foundation of what could have been a long partnership. Vastrakar however, came back to find the breakthrough, with Knight edging to wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia.
Then came in Deepti Sharma, who had tormented the English in their first innings when she registered figures of 5/7. She continued to trouble the batters on Saturday morning as well.
She got the better of Wyatt, with the help of Sneh Rana’s fine catch at slips. Later, she picked up the wicket of Amy Jones before bowling Kate Cross and Lauren Filer.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad picked up the other two wickets of Sophie Ecclestone, and the last one of Lauren Bell to ensure England were dismissed in an innings that lasted 27.3 overs, and two hours and 38 minutes – in one session of play.
Sharma was adjudged the player of the match for her 67 runs with the bat and nine wickets across two bowling innings.
With the win, England’s tour of India comes to an end. The visitors won the T20I series 2-1 before India won the one-off Test.
Up next for the Indians is the series against Australia which begins with another one-off Test, at the Wankhede Stadium on December 21.
Final score
India 428 & 186/6d beat England 136 & 131
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