India defeated England by an astounding margin of 347 runs in the one-off women’s Test match, with a remarkable display of ability and tenacity. Choosing to bat first on a fair surface, the Indian side displayed a team effort, reaching 400 runs without any individual centuries but forming significant century partnerships.
It all changed when England was bowled out for a pitiful 136 after India scored 428 runs, thanks to Deepti Sharma’s outstanding five-wicket haul that made England sweat and gave India a commanding 292-run advantage. When India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur decided not to force a follow-on, they were able to score more runs on Day 2 and set a difficult target of 479 after declaring on 186/6.
England struggled again, looking a lot like they did in their first innings, as Deepti’s four wickets and Pooja Vastrakar’s three wickets left the visitors flat. Deepti was named Player of the Match for her outstanding performance in the game, which included 87 runs scored and nine wickets taken.
England’s Heather Knight, the captain who lost, stated:
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.
Harmanpreet Kaur, the Indian captain who won, stated:
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.
Deepti Sharma of India, the player of the match, 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.
Amol Muzumdar, India’s coach, stated:
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.
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