INW vs ENGW, one-off Test: India take opening-day honours after Bazball-esque batting vs England in Mumbai

India's women posted a formidable total of 410/7 at the end of Day 1, showcasing a collective team effort with several partnerships and contributions, notably from debutant Shubha Satheesh, Jemimah Rodrigues, and the lower-order resilience of Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana and Yastika Bhatia

In Short

• India posted a formidable total of 410/7 at the end of Day 1
• India Women breached the 400-run mark inside the 90th over
• Satheesh, Rodrigues, Deepti and Yastika hit fifties vs England

India's women's team showcased Bazball-esque batting to amass 410 for 7 in 94 overs on the opening day of the one-off Test against England in Mumbai on Thursday. India became just the second team in 88 years of women's Test cricket to surpass 400 runs in a single day's play during the first day of the one-off match against England.

Harmanpreet Kaur's decision to bat after winning the toss saw an early setback as Lauren Bell dismissed both openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma cheaply. Debutants Shubha Satheesh and Jemimah Rodrigues then anchored India's innings, frustrating England's bowlers in the first session. Satheesh notably shone on her debut, hitting a half-century before lunch, leading India to 136/2 in 27 overs.

Post-lunch, Satheesh aimed for aggressive shots but fell to Sophie Ecclestone, followed by Rodrigues departing for 68 to a well-executed delivery by Bell. Harmanpreet Kaur and Yastika Bhatia then constructed a crucial 71-run partnership until the end of the second session.

While Kaur was steady and milked her way with a rotation of strikes, Bhatia displayed some glorious drives to take the Indian side past the 250-run mark. Harmanpreet and Yastika resumed play for India in the final session of the day and the duo continued to bat similarly as they did in the second session.

The final session saw Yastika scoring a brilliant fifty, but the quick wickets of Kaur and Bhatia halted India's momentum. However, Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana's determined partnership frustrated the English bowlers, accumulating more than 90 runs. Unfortunately, Rana fell just before the stumps. Deepti (60*) and Pooja Vastrakar (4*) remained unbeaten as India reached stumps at 410 for seven in 94 overs.

It was the first time in 88 years that a team scored more than 400 runs in a single day in women's Tests. England Women hold the overall record, having scored 431 points versus New Zealand in 1935 at Lancaster Park in Christchurch.

Published By:
Saurabh Kumar
Published On:
Dec 14, 2023