Opener Shafali Verma is the fourth player to score a half-century in both innings of the first Test. The Indian women’s cricket team scored 83 for one wicket in the second innings following a one-day Test match against England until the end of the third day of play due to rain interruptions. Rain disturbed the second session and thus could not play the third session.
Shefali, who missed just four runs from his century by scoring 96 in the first innings, was 55 not out from 11 boundaries, while another batsman, Deepti Sharma, who was on the other end, was in the crease after scoring 18 runs. Shefali is also the first Indian batsman to score more than 50 runs in both innings. The duo faced the England bowlers for 20 overs and added 54 runs after lunch. The post-lunch session started 30 minutes late due to rain.
England tried to eliminate both of these players in the second session but they were unsuccessful. Second opener Smriti Mandana was thrown into the morning session. With nine wickets remaining in the four-day match, India still have 82 runs to spare, making Saturday’s final day’s game interesting. In the morning session, India’s women’s team were bowled out for 231 in the first innings. England declared their first innings at 396 for nine, and India were bowled out for 165, prompting the hosts to follow suit.
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On the second day, 17-year-old Shefali and Mandana (78) gave India a good start but they lost five wickets in the opening. India started playing 187 for five on Friday morning. Both players lost wickets in the same score. Deepti stood at one end but wickets were falling on the other end. Thus, India added 44 runs for the loss of five wickets in 21.2 overs. Deepthi notched 29 and Pooja Vastrakar scored 12 runs. The duo put on 33 for the ninth wicket but could not save the team from a follow-on.
India are having a lot of trouble playing England spinners Sophie Ecclestone and Heather Knight. Ecclestone scored 88 and Heather Knight took two. Catherine Brunt, Natalie Skiver, Anya Shrubsole and Kate Cross each took one wicket. India scored their first run of the day after playing 20 balls, but by that time they had lost two wickets, including the crucial wicket of deputy Hermanpreet Kaur. England were criticized in the second over of the day and Harmanpreet was dismissed before adding a single to score four runs in the night. He was given a leg before Ecclestone’s delivery.
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Tania Bhatia returned to the pavilion with six balls to spare after two overs. He was also dismissed by Ecclestone. Subsequently, the England bowler dismissed Sneh Rana (02) in a turn-taking delivery, scoring 197 runs for India’s score of eight. After 80 balls, England took the new ball and after India’s dismissal of Pooja Vastrakar (12) and Julan Goswami, India’s innings went 1.2 overs.
