Indian-Women-Team. (Photo Source: X/BCCI)
In a commanding display of skill and resilience, India clinched a resounding victory over England in the one-off women’s Test by a staggering margin of 347 runs. Opting to bat first on a decent pitch, the Indian team showcased a collective effort, crossing the 400-run mark without any individual centuries but building crucial century partnerships.
The turning point came when Deepti Sharma’s exceptional five-wicket haul caused England to struggle, granting India a formidable 292-run lead as England were bundled out for a paltry 136 in response to India’s 428. Although the opportunity to enforce a follow-on arose, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur opted against it, allowing India to amass additional runs on Day 2, setting a challenging target of 479 after declaring on 186/6.
In a déjà vu of their first innings struggle, England faltered once more as Pooja Vastrakar’s three-wicket haul combined with Deepti’s four wickets left the visitors battered. Deepti’s exceptional performance of scoring 87 runs and picking nine wickets in the match earned her the Player of the Match award.
Losing Captain, Heather Knight, England said:
I think India played outstandingly, they made us suffer. They batted well in the first innings, as a team we learnt a lot. Credit to the way how they played. The conditions were extreme, we are not used to it. Scoring runs was tougher. India bowled better than the first innings today. A lot of things to improve on, Indian conditions test you as a cricketer. We had some brilliant performances. Bell’s consistency. Execution is so important. You can get punished if you miss bowling in the right areas. It hasn’t gone the way we wanted to, but we have learnt a lot from this experience.
Winning Captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, India said:
Feeling great. We were thinking about how to win the game at the start of the match. Everything went according to the plan. It was a plan, we had to execute those plans. We had a couple of days to prepare before the start of this game. All the players took the responsibility and delivered their best. The first 40 minutes were crucial, as a team we were looking to pick wickets. I know I will get opportunities to score centuries in the future, but winning the game was important. They knew their plans and they executed them accordingly.
Player of the Match, Deepti Sharma, India said:
Feeling very good, was waiting for this day. Feeling very proud as we executed our plans. Happy with the results. I tried to keep calm. We focussed on building partnerships, pleased we could execute it. Was getting a lot of help from the wicket, so tried to bowl in the right areas. Harmanpreet was advicing me to bowl in the right areas. Will try to keep doing the same things going forward.
India’s coach Amol Muzumdar said:
It’s been absolutely brilliant. Amazing stuff from the girls. No Test match is easy. But the effort the girls put in before the Test match, and the people who came in 5-6 days before – had a solid group that was working at the Wankhede stadium. Good sign for Indian cricket. All of them who made their debut who batted and bowled well. England is a top side – no doubt about it. You’re talking about Stokesy (referring to Deepti). I jokingly call her Ben Stokes in the team. The confidence she’s carrying, and the confidence she’s gained. She’s an important cog in the wheel. We have back to back Tests – never happened before. We’re playing Australia in four days time.