England vs India one-off Test, day four as it happened: Indian lower order fights back to force draw

That’s it from an entertaining final day of Test cricket in Bristol. The hard-fought draw gives two points each for England and India in the multi-format series. It also makes a strong case for women’s Tests.
Up next will be the ODI series beginning Sunday.

Shafali Verma is Player of the Match. This was the kind of Test that had many, many POM options but the teenage debutant who scored half-centuries in both innings seems to be the best pick.

STAT TO REMEMBER: India are unbeaten in England after 10 Test matches. They last played there in 2014, a famous win. Seven years later, a famous draw.

Sneh Rana to Sky after the match – Feeling really great that I’m able to contribute something for my team. I just played according to the ball only. One loose ball and I made it to the boundary, that’s it. It’s an emotional moment for me, being picked by an India team after five long years. That’s an emotional and really proud moment for me. Thank you the team for having the confidence in me”

MATCH DRAWN: With the 100-run stand, just over 10 overs left and Sneh Rana batting on 80, the match has been called of.
This was a hard-fought draw for India, what looked like a certain loss midway through the day loss avoided.

Sneh Rana’s stylish flick to the boundary takes her to 80, the second highest score on debut by an Indian woman. Behind only Shafali Verma’s 96 in the first innings. The 104-run partnership between debutants Sneh Rana and Taniya Bhatia falls just short of the record for the 9th wicket (107 set in 1972)

That’s 100-run PARTNERSHIP between Sneh Rana and Taniya Bhatia. It is the second highest stand for the 9th wicket in women’s Test cricket.

India 337/8 (lead by 172 runs) - Rana (75), Bhatia (43)

Taniya Bhatia moves into the 40s with two boundaries in the Kate Cross over. The partnership move to 99. 13 overs left in the match.

India 325/8 (lead by 160 runs) - Rana (74), Bhatia (32)

Georgia Elwiss, medium pacer, is into the attack as England try out all angles to get a breakthrough. The Indian 9th-wicket partnership reaches 85. 16 overs left in the match.

India 321/8 (lead by 156 runs) - Rana (74), Bhatia (30)

India hang on, England look out of ideas and there are 18 overs left in the match.

India 318/8 (lead by 153 runs) - Rana (73), Bhatia (28)

Sophie Ecclestone, who has conceded the most runs by an English bowler in a women’s Test innings, is finally taken off by England. The spinner did fantastic for 8 wickets in the match and kept bowling for a breakthrough and a potential fifer. But not to be so far.
Kate Cross comes in and bowls a maiden over. Midway England appeal for LBW but it was half-hearted at best. They do not have reviews left either. 21 overs left in the match.

India 317/8 (lead by 152 runs) - Rana (72), Bhatia (28)

Taniya Bhatia joining the boundary part, getting two boundaries off Sophie Ecclestone this time. The partnership moves to 77 and the lead swells above 150. 23 overs left in the match.

India 305/8 (lead by 140 runs) - Rana (72), Bhatia (20)

The 300 comes up for India!

Back-to-back boundaries off Ecclestone, Rana’s record knock keeps getting better! The spinner, who has taken 4 wickets in the match, is bowling her arm off for another breakthrough. Remember, she has been seen messaging her shoulder.

India 296/8 (lead by 131 runs) - Rana (63), Bhatia (20)

The partnership is building (60 runs now) and so is England’s frustration. Also, the umpires have warned India about time wasting as we near the conclusion. There are 26 overs left in the day, and they have to be completed.

India 286/8 (lead by 121 runs) - Rana (59), Bhatia (14)

Bhatia has impressively risen in confidence. Five dot balls and a single to finish Eccelstone’s over. England still chirping, still keeping the pressure. Heather Knight brings herself on.

India 285/8 (lead by 120 runs) - Rana (58), Bhatia (14)

Rana continues to find the boundaries. Sciver, who has been so miserly, concedes a rare boundary.

Sneh Rana, in case you missed, had a terrific all-round tournament in the Senior One-Day Women’s Trophy.

FIFTY for Sneh Rana! The all-rounder scores a half-century on debut, after taking 4 wickets in the first innings. 91 balls, 9 fours – a very important innings for India. Fifth half century on debut in this match, a new record.

India 274/8 (lead by 109 runs) - Rana (49), Bhatia (12)

Another over negotiated by India. Rana one short of a deserving debut fifty.

India 271/8 (lead by 106 runs) - Rana (47), Bhatia (11)

This partnership doing the right thing by keeping the scoreboard ticking. Ecclestone draws a false shot from Bhatia but the lob is past a diving fielder at short leg. Another milestone for India, 100 overs batted.

India 267/8 (lead by 102 runs) - Rana (45), Bhatia (9)

Now Taniya Bhatia’s turn to play a lovely shot through offside for four. The lead crosses 100!

Official: India have been warned for time-wasting, the broadcasters tell us. Another time that happens, five penalty runs.

India 262/8 (lead by 97 runs) - Rana (45), Bhatia (4)

Rana edges closer to her 50! Another lovely shot through the cover for four. And Brunt, as ever, is not pleased.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Irrespective of the result, the Indian players who have impressed the most — Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana (even Pooja Vastrakar, Taniya Bhatia but to a lesser extent) — are playing the first Test match of their lives. Terrific stuff.

India 258/8 (lead by 93 runs) - Rana (41), Bhatia (4)

Rana keeps the scoreboard ticking, a classy shot through offside for four. And the lead swells a bit more.

India 253/8 (lead by 88 runs) - Rana (36), Bhatia (4)

One more over played out, one more run added to the lead.

India 252/8 (lead by 87 runs) - Rana (35), Bhatia 4

Bhatia plays out a tense Ecclestone over. Another appeal in that over, no reviews left for England in case you are just joining us.

India 252/8 (lead by 87 runs): India need to play for time in the final session but every single run they score also adds to the drama of how hard England will go for the chase. 4 points at stake for a win, parity at stake for a draw. Sneh Rana adds to it all with two fours in Brunt’s first over.

Final session coming up folks!

TEA, DAY FOUR: India 243/8 (lead by 78 runs)

TEA, DAY FOUR India 243/8 (lead by 78 runs)

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: If any of cricket’s powers-that-be saw this Test match in Bristol and decided “nah, we don’t need more of this” it will be very disappointing. One session left, plenty to play for! What a finish on the cards.

India 243/8 after 93 overs: Sneh Rana 27, Taniya Bhatia 3

TEA TAKEN: A big LBW appeal from Ecclestone and Co to close out the session. England don’t have reviews! (But that looked not out anyway). India lead by 78 runs.

Sophie Ecclestone is back. On the verge of a five-for Taniya Bhatia did not enjoy facing her in the first innings.

India 242/8: Sneh Rana 27, Taniya Bhatia 2

Rana needs to consider taking most of the strike here. At least till the ball is moving around? Brunt almost goes past Bhatia’s defence by squaring her up. She gets her bat to it late.

India 241/8: Sneh Rana 27, Taniya Bhatia 1

Taniya Bhatia can bat. But she is under so much pressure here. She has not had the returns in international cricket that’s been expected of her. But today, she has a chance to show what she is capable of. It’s so tense at the moment.

WICKET! Shikha Pandey gone! She can’t believe it... after a solid innings till then, she glances one down the leg side. Sciver has bowled fantastically well today, but that wasn’t her best ball. She will take it though! And England are on the verge of forcing a win. A 50-ball 18 for the Indian, not quite the final day heroics of last time.

India 240/7: Sneh Rana 27, Shikha Pandey 18

Brunt starts the over with a peach! Shaped away late and somehow, SOMEHOW, misses the top of off. Not dissimilar from the ball she bowled to Vastrakar in the first innings.

India 238/7: Sneh Rana 26, Shikha Pandey 17

Good over from Sciver. She’s been terrific. And now Brunt is back to bowl! Quite incredible, this cricketer. A change of ends for her.

India 236/7: Sneh Rana 25, Shikha Pandey 16

India’s lead has gone past 70 now! Two boundaries in that Shrubsole over and she doesn’t seem too pleased. The second new ball has resulted in a few boundaries for India. Solid stand this.

So... 35-year-old Katherine Brunt today: took a stunning diving catch, went chasing after a ball to stop a boundary and tumbled at the ropes, bowled an over after that and fell in her followthrough, still kept going and finished the over. It looks like she is off the field now but one can be fairly sure it wasn’t easy to take her off.

India 227/7: Sneh Rana 25, Shikha Pandey 7

Sciver’s figures have been spoiled by an outside that flew for four. She had conceded one run (ONE RUN!) in her previous 10 overs. Went for 5 in the 11th. 11-9-6-1 at the moment.

Over in Southampton, play about to resume after bad light forced tea.

India vs New Zealand, World Test Championship Final day 2, live

Sneh Rana & Shikha Pandey have batted for 12+ overs now, stemming the collapse. Both are handy with the bat, have stitched a small but crucial stand), and could well be a decisive factor in this Test. India lead by 57, just under 50 overs left. Hope floats?

REVIEW LOST: England have lost all their reviews, after going up for a caught behind appeal. Those behind the stumps thought it was out, Shrubsole wasn’t convinced. Shrubsole was right.

India 222/7: Sneh Rana 21, Shikha Pandey 6

Brunt is just having some balance issues at the moment. First she took a tumble at the boundary line while trying to stop a boundary. And now she falls in the followthrough. But she keeps going. Warrior, as she is.

India 222/7: Sneh Rana 21, Shikha Pandey 6

Sneh Rana, also a debutante, and Shikha Pandey, who famously hit the winning runs in the 2014 Test, have batted out 10 overs now. Stemming the collapse, at least for now. It’s a small but handy stand, worth 23 runs. India’s lead is just 57 but if they can continue, this Test could head for a thrilling finish.

Minimum overs left in the day - 50
India’s lead - 53  

India 218/7: Sneh Rana 17, Shikha Pandey 6

India’s lead has crossed 50 now as Rana and Pandey have held steady for close to 9 overs now. Just about 50 overs left in the day.
England are going with seam from both ends, with Brunt and Shrubsole bowling in tandem.

India 211/7: Sneh Rana 10, Shikha Pandey 6

After another middle-order collapse, it’s on the lower order to keep things afloat.
Meanwhile, Sophie Ecclestone is seen massaging her left shoulder. She has 4 wickets already in the innings, 8 in the match. She is still bowling though.

Fall of India’s wickets

2/99 - Shafali Verma
3/171 - Deepti Sharma
4/175 - Mithali Raj
5/175 - Punam Raut
6/189 - Pooja Vastrakar
7/199 - Harmanpreet Kaur 

WICKET! Harmanpreet Kaur out for 8 off 34, India 199/7

What have you done, Harmanpreet Kaur?! She goes for a slog sweep against Sophie Ecclestone, gets a top edge that goes up and offers a simple catch to the keeper. Not the shot to go for at all given the situation.
Sophie Ecclestone gets her fourth of the innings and England are firmly on the threshold of a win.

India 199/6, Harmanpreet Kaur 8, Sneh Rana 4

Rana gets off the mark with a boundary off Ecclestone’s last ball, a push through the point region.
Knight, continuing spin from both ends, starts her over with a bit of a gift ball and Harmanpreet goes on her knees to dispatch the full toss to the mid-wicket boundary,

WICKET! Pooja Vastrakar is bowled by Heather Knight on 12, India 189/6

The captain comes into the attack, making it spin from both ends, and sends the bails flying.
The youngster’s bat was nowhere near it as she missed the ball completely while going for an expansive shot and she walks back on 12.
The dreaded ‘collapse’ has arrived, well and truly.

India 188/5, Pooja Vastrakar 12, Harmanpreet Kaur 1

Pooja Vastrakar hits Sophie Ecclestone for three fours in an over! She picked up the looser deliveries and did what had to be done, with composure. India lead by 23 runs now.

WICKET! Punam Raut falls on 39 off 104

Deja vu for India. Is this the start of a collapse? Three wickets have fallen for four runs across sessions and now there are two new batters on crease.
Punam Raut goes for an ill-timed pull on a bouncer-height ball and finds the square leg fielder. Nat Sciver gets her first wicket of the innings, a catch take by Sophie Ecclestone who is involved in yet another dismissal.

Pooja Vastrakar is the new bat in. India 175/5

Mithali Raj is bowled by Sophie Ecclestone on 4!

A second straight low score for the captain as she falls to the young spinner again. A terrific delivery, a shot intended to defend but the ball beats the bat and nudges the stumps. A big wicket for England, two quick wickets for Eccleston and now the hosts will believe they have got the door open enough to win.

Harmanpreet Kaur the new bat in

India 175/3, Punam Raut 39, Mithali Raj 4

Mithali Raj gets off the mark by hitting Ecclestone for a boundary. The young spinner had got her wicket in the first innings and she will be mindful of that. Close-in fielders again and the chatter is on.

India 171/3, Punam Raut 39, Mithali Raj 0

Time for the second session on what is building up to be a tense final day

Captain Mithali Raj is the new bat in with Punam Raut. The most seasoned player and the set batter have to put together a partnership here for India to have any hope in this Test. Raj could barely contribute in the first innings and will hope to rectify that.

That will be early lunch.

India 171/3 after following on, lead by 6 runs. Punam Raut batting on 39.

WICKET! Deepti Sharma is bowled by Sophie Eccleston on 54 off 213

Two balls before, the left-hander uses the shot cleverly to smack the spinner for a boundary over mid-wicket. But this time when she goes for the shot, the ball sneaks from under her bat and crashes into the stumps. It was a sudden rush of blood after the No 3 had played such a stoic, patient innings and it has undone all the hard work.

England have got the big breakthrough and wanted.

India second innings – 166/2, Sharma 50, Raut 38

And India are in the lead. Just by a run, but the deficit has has been wiped off after being made to follow on. Most of it thanks to two Test debutants – the fire and ice pair of Verma and Sharma. The experienced Raut has played her part too.

Deepti Sharma 

1st innings: 29* off 73 balls
2nd innings: 50* off 157 balls

Unbeaten on debut after facing more than 200 deliveries.  

FIFTY for Deepti Sharma! On Test debut!
The all-rounder, promoted to No 3, has played a terrific knock under pressure. Her half century comes off 157 balls with 7 boundaries. A very good Test cricket knock.

India second innings – 158/2, Sharma 49, Raut 32

Close-in fielders and the keeper surround Raut, yet she takes off for a quick run after pushing to mid-on... that could have been dangerous if there was direct hit. Sharma takes a single lightly deep backward square to move to 49.
That’s one way to play a tight over from Ecclestone.

India second innings – 156/2, Sharma 48, Raut 31

Nat Sciver comes into the attack for her first over in the second innings and starts with a maiden.
Sophie Ecclestone returns from the other end as England seek a breakthrough.

India second innings – 154/2, Sharma 48, Raut 29

That’s the 50-run stand between Deepti Sharma and Punam Raut, worth its weight in gold for India.

Raut and Sharma seem to be upping the ante, boundaries in three back-to-back overs now. With the deficit under control now, they are using their shots more freely. Good cricket.

India second innings – 140/2, Sharma 38, Raut 25

Sharma and Raut have put together a very good partnership, worth 41 off 16 overs now. They trail by just 25 runs now and India look set to gain a lead at least. The lessons from the first-inning collapse have been learnt and well.

India second innings – 127/2, Sharma 33, Raut 19

Punam Raut survives thanks to DRS! Brunt thinks she has her trapped and the umpire gives it but Raut is convinced she is not out. She reviews and the review shows that there was indeed bat involved, a considerable inside edge.

The deficit has come down to under 40 now as Sharma and Raut have navigated over 10 overs to rebuild after the fall of Verma’s wicket.

India second innings – 120/2, Sharma 28, Raut 17

SHOT from Raut to get a boundary off Ecclestone, uses her feet beautifully to place it between cover and point. The spinner responds with only dots after that, but the four would have eased some of the pressure building up.

India second innings – 112/2, Sharma 27, Raut 10

Ecclestone is bowling quite the spell here but India are hanging on and play out another maiden.

How is this for a Shafali impact? A different first for women’s cricket

India second innings – 109/2, Sharma 26, Raut 8

Katherine Brunt, after the excellent catch to dismiss Shafali, comes into the attack as England look to mount the pressure with tight lines and close-in fielders. A very crucial period for both teams. India will not forget what happened in the first innings when two wickets fells.
A maiden over for Eccleston follows.

India second innings – 107/2, Sharma 26, Raut 6

Huge appeal from Ecclestone against Raut and England review, but it’s missing stumps and she survives. The spinner is bowling a line that is asking a lot of questions of the Indian batters.

India second innings – 101/2, Sharma 25, Raut 1

Punam Raut is the new bat in and she now the big task of not only rebuilding, but also ensuring that one wicket doesn’t trigger the infamous Indian collapse.

India second innings – 99/2, Shafali Verma is OUT on 63 off 83

SIX! That’s how Shafali Verma begins the next Sophie Ecclestone over. She smacks it down the ground and her way power just takes it all the way through.

But it is the spinner who has the last laugh as she gets big wicket of the opener on the final ball of the over. Verma gets a gift of a full toss but doesn’t get the bat right and it drops towards long-on. Super catch from Brunt who runs in and dives full-length, after apparently misjudging the trajectory, to take what is arguably the most important wicket of this match.

India second innings – 93/1, Verma 57, Sharma 24

Verma living a bit dangerously early on as she tries tot cut at an Ecclestone delivery but it falls safe.
A shout from Shrubsole in the next over, but Sharma wraps it up with a neat drive.

India second innings – 86/1, Verma 56, Sharma 19

Sophie Ecclestone bowls the first full over of the day and Verma plays it out with composure with just two leg byes.
Anya Shrubsole comes in from the other end and the two batters gets a single each. Settling in.

Here we go!

108 overs left in this Test, India trail by 82 runs after England enforced follow on and we have Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma on crease, Kate Cross with the ball.

Day 1: England in control, India fought back late

Day 2: India in control, England fought back late

Day 3: Shafali Verma shines after follow on a rain-hit day

What does the fourth and final day have in store for us in this Test?

Hello all and welcome to the live coverage of the fourth and final day of the one-off Test between England and India in Bristol.

It was not a washout in Bristol yesterday as it was in Southampton, we witnessed more entertaining cricket from both sides on day two. But not even 50 overs were possible in total. England would still fancy their chances to force a result though, so a good final day is on the cards. A total of 108 overs are supposed to be bowled and India will start off with a deficit of 82 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

England: 396/9 declared

India first innings: 231 all out

Day 3 stumps: India 83/1 in the 2nd innings (24.3 overs)