India continued to dominate the first women’s Test at Lord’s on Saturday, with Kranti Gaud taking five wickets before Smriti Mandhana once again piled on the runs against England.
In response to India’s first-innings 285, England were dismissed for 170 as seam bowler Gaud led the way with a frugal 5-37 in 17 overs.
India had a massive lead of 269 runs overall at the end of the second day of four, having scored 154-1 in their second innings.
This is significantly more than Australia’s 198 against England in Sydney in 2011, which was the biggest successful fourth-innings chase to win a women’s Test.
After sharing an opening stand of 88 with Shafali Verma (33), elegant left-hander Mandhana was 69 not out, continuing her brilliant first-innings 83.
After 142 years of playing men’s Test cricket at Lord’s, Gaud is now the first female player to earn a coveted spot on the honors board, which lists bowlers who have taken five or more wickets in a Test innings at the ground. The 22-year-old will join the likes of Indian men’s greats Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, Bishan Bedi, and Kapil Dev.
“It feels great to be on the honours board,” AFP quoted Gaud telling reporters after stumps, with England left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone acknowledging that the hosts had had a “tough day.”
After losing two wickets for no runs in four deliveries, England, who had resumed at 21-1, fell to 32-3. On yet another bright day at Lord’s, captain Nat Sciver-Brunt (44) and Amy Jones (52) put up a fifth-wicket partnership of 84, which was their only real resistance.
Compared to their English counterparts, Indian seamers were able to establish a precise line and length far faster. 17-year-old Maia Bouchier who had been not out overnight, was caught behind for 23 after pushing loosely outside off stump to Gaud.
And when Sayali Satghare dismissed former England captain Heather Knight LBW for 6, 32-2 turned into 32-3. With England now in terrible shape at 47-4, the collapse continued when Gaud unleashed a brilliant ball that slanted in and then swung away to bowl Alice Capsey for nine.
Following her 58 not out in England’s T20 World Cup final loss to Australia at Lord’s last week, Sciver-Brunt found support in Jones on Saturday, who ended a trend of low white-ball scores. However, the wicketkeeper was dismissed before lunch when she made a straightforward bat-pad catch to short leg off off-spinner Sneh Rana’s bowling.
When Gaud had Sciver-Brunt plumb lbw, she had only added 5 runs to her interval score of 39.
“All the five wickets were special,” said Gaud. “But that one (Sciver-Brunt) mattered most to me as we really needed a wicket at that stage.”
When Lauren Bell’s edged drive went to the slip cordon and Rana parried it in front of her throat before a diving Verma got the rebound, Gaud dramatically completed her five-wicket haul.
At the age of 29 years and 357 days, Mandhana had made history on Friday by being the youngest woman to appear in 300 international matches in all formats. She was once again in top form.
Verma, out for nothing in the first inning, hit the seamer down the ground as she punished Bell for pitching short with lazy pull shots, and the runs continued to flow.
Ecclestone, who on Friday had become England’s top wicket-taker in all international formats, was also lofted by Mandhana for an incredible straight six.
“She’s an amazing player,” said Ecclestone of Mandhana. “We’ve had so many battles over the years, she knows how I am as a bowler and I know how she plays – and she’s coming out on top at the minute.”
