The women in whites: Deepti Sharma leads India’s 347-run rout of England

Navi Mumbai, December 16

Deepti Sharma played the enforcer’s role to perfection for the second time in as many days as a dominant India scripted a historic 347-run victory over England on the third day of the one-off Test here today.

India set in motion the hunt for triumph while declaring their second innings closed at the overnight score of 186/6, leaving England a huge mountain of 479 runs to climb in their second innings.

The Indian bowlers, led by off-spinner Deepti (4/32) and pacer Pooja Vastrakar (3/23), then bundled out England for 131 to celebrate a victory which now stands as the biggest in terms of runs in the history of women’s Test cricket, bettering Sri Lanka’s 309-run victory over Pakistan in April 1998.

378 Balls batted by England across the two innings — the fewest by a team in a women’s Test while being bowled out twice

478 The lead of 478 runs that India piled up before declaring was the highest for any team in women’s Tests

1 It is India’s first Test win against England at home across six matches. They also beat them twice in nine meetings in England

It was also India’s first win over England at home in 15 Tests, having beaten them in away games twice in 2014. The win will also give them a big boost ahead of the one-off Test against Australia starting here next week.

Over the last three days, the Indians did not show any rust of not having played Test cricket in two years.

Vastrakar on song

But for all the records, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side should thank Deepti (8-2-32-4), who was in her elements after that sensational five for seven in the first innings, and Vastrakar, who played second fiddle to Deepti.

India did not have to wait for long for the first breakthrough this morning.

It came in the form of Tammy Beaumont (17) with pacer Renuka Singh moving the ball in from outside the off to knock down her off-stump.

England sank deeper after suffering twin blows in Vastrakar’s first over. Sophie Dunkley (15) played one into the hands of substitute Harleen Deol at gully.

Vastrakar then cleaned up first-innings star Nat Sciver-Brunt for a first-ball duck, getting the ball to nip back in and passing it through between the bat and the pad.

I jokingly call Deepti (Sharma) ‘Stokesy’ (Ben Stokes’ nickname). Nine wickets and a fifty, she’s an important cog in the wheel and it’s important for her confidence. Amol Muzumdar, India coach

India also wasted two DRS reviews in haste — one each against Heather Knight and Danni Wyatt — but did not have to work too hard for the third wicket. An on-song Vastrakar had one nipping away after pitching to find an outside edge off Knight’s bat, as Yastika Bhatia did the rest behind the stumps. Knight made a 20-ball 21 with four boundaries. — PTI

Scoreboard

India 1st innings 428

England 1st innings 136

India 2nd innings

S Verma c Ecclestone b Dean 33

S Mandhana c Beaumont b Ecclestone 26

Y Bhatia c Beaumont b Ecclestone 9

J Rodrigues c Beaumont b Dean 27

H Kaur not out 44

D Sharma lbw b Dean 20

S Rana b Dean 0

P Vastrakar not out 17

Extras: (b 10) 10

Total: (6 wickets, 42 overs) 186/6d

FOW: 1-61, 2-71, 3-77, 4-109, 5-133, 6-133

Bowling O M R W

Lauren Bell 3 1 6 0

Sophie Ecclestone 15 2 76 2

Charlie Dean 19 3 68 4

Kate Cross 3 0 13 0

Lauren Filer 2 0 13 0

England 2nd innings

S Dunkley c sub (Deol) b Vastrakar 15

T Beaumont b Renuka 17

H Knight c Bhatia b Vastrakar 21

N Sciver-Brunt b Vastrakar 0

D Wyatt c Rana b Sharma 12

A Jones c Verma b Sharma 5

S Ecclestone b Gayakwad 10

C Dean not out 20

K Cross b Sharma 16

L Filer b Sharma 0

L Bell c Rodrigues b Gayakwad 8

Extras: (b 5, lb 2) 7

Total: (All out, 27.3 overs) 131

FOW: 1-27, 2-37, 3-37, 4-68, 5-68,

6-83, 7-83, 8-108, 9-108, 10-131

Bowling O M R W

Renuka Singh 6 1 30 1

Sneh Rana 4 0 19 0

Pooja Vastrakar 4 1 23 3

Deepti Sharma 8 2 32 4

Rajeshwari Gayakwad 5.3 1 20 2

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