First day, India steal show

Navi Mumbai, December 14

Debutants Shubha Satheesh and Jemimah Rodrigues made fine half-centuries as India’s ultra-aggressive approach with the bat took them to a massive 410/7 at stumps on Day 1 of their one-off Test against England here today.

Playing their first Test in nearly two years, and their maiden red-ball game on home soil in nine years, India rarely took their foot off the pedal on a batting-friendly surface at the DY Patil Stadium, garnering nearly five runs per over.

The 24-year-old Shubha stood tall with a 76-ball 69 studded with 13 boundaries, displaying immaculate footwork and impeccable reading of the line and length to score her runs at a strike-rate of nearly 91.

Shubha became the 12th India batter to score a fifty on debut. If she had converted it into a century, she would have become the first from the country to make a ton in her maiden appearance. Instead, she departed when Sophie Ecclestone (1/85) had her caught by Nat Sciver-Brunt.

Jemimah also produced a knock befitting her calibre, smacking 11 fours during her 99-ball 68. The young batter looked good for a three-figure score but played one onto her wickets off Lauren Bell (2/64).

Shubha and Jemimah were instrumental in setting the tone for the hosts’ domination after the team appeared to be stuttering following a brisk start, adding 115 runs for the third wicket to enter the record books.

The partnership between the duo is now the second-highest in Test cricket for the third wicket.

It was a day when the Indians were within touching distance of resetting several records but fell short.

India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur began with a sweep shot and looked in rich vein of form, but her bat got stuck in the ground while completing a run and Dani Wyatt’s throw ended her stay.

Harmanpreet walked back to the dressing room having scored an 81-ball 49 with six fours, but more importantly, she and Yastika Bhatia (66) put on 116 runs for the fifth wicket, which is the second-highest stand for India in the format.

Yastika was brisk in getting runs, with the wicketkeeper-batter being fluent on both sides of the wicket, cracking 10 fours and the only six of the innings.

Lauren dropped a regulation catch at mid-on off Charlie Dean (1/62) when Yastika, on 15 then, mistimed a sweep and the ball went high up in the air.

Yastika had to contend with a maiden half-century in her second Test outing as Lauren did not err while taking a catch for the second time at the same spot, off the same bowler. India were far from done as Deepti Sharma (60) and Sneh Rana (30) joined forces to pile more misery on England on a hot and humid day, adding 92 runs for the seventh wicket, which took the hosts past the 400-run mark.

For England opportunities were few and far between. Luck also did not favour them, with a few edges flying past their fielders. — PTI

Scoreboard

India 1st innings

S Mandhana b Bell 17

S Verma b Cross 19

S Shubha c Sciver-Brunt b Ecclestone 69

J Rodrigues b Bell 68

H Kaur run out (Wyatt) 49

Y Bhatia c Bell b Dean 66

D Sharma not out 60

S Rana b Sciver-Brunt 30

P Vastrakar not out 4

Extras: (b 19, lb 7, nb 2) 28

Total: (7 wickets, 94 overs) 410

FOW: 1-25, 2-47, 3-162, 4-190, 5-306, 6-313, 7-405

Bowling O M R W

Kate Cross 14 0 64 1

Lauren Bell 15 1 64 2

Nat Sciver-Brunt 11 4 25 1

Lauren Filer 15 1 84 0

Charlie Dean 17 1 62 1

Sophie Ecclestone 22 4 85 1

Highest totals in single day in women’s Tests

• 431/4 England vs New Zealand, Christchurch 1935
• 410/7 India vs England, Navi Mumbai 2023
• 362/5 New Zealand vs England, Guildford 1996
• 351/6 England vs South Africa, Johannesburg 1960
• 332/7 England vs India, Worcester 1986