Mumbai: India Women registered their biggest-ever victory in Test cricket as they thrashed England Women by 347 runs in the one-off match at the DY Patil Stadium on Saturday. The hosts dominated the game from start to finish, thanks to a brilliant all-round performance by Deepti Sharma, who scored 67 runs and took nine wickets in the match.
India Women, who won the toss and opted to bat first, piled up a massive total of 428 runs in their first innings, with half-centuries from Shubha Satheesh (102), Jemimah Rodrigues (88) and Deepti Sharma (67). England Women’s bowlers struggled to contain the Indian batswomen, as they conceded 104 runs in extras, the most in a women’s Test innings. Sophie Ecclestone was the most successful bowler for the visitors, taking four wickets for 88 runs.
England Women’s batting woes began in their first innings, as they were bundled out for a paltry 136 runs, with only Tammy Beaumont (37) and Heather Knight (30) offering some resistance. Deepti Sharma was the wrecker-in-chief for India Women, as she claimed five wickets for just seven runs in 5.3 overs, the best bowling figures by an Indian woman in Tests. Pooja Vastrakar and Rajeshwari Gaikwad also chipped in with two wickets each.
India Women did not enforce the follow-on and decided to bat again, extending their lead to 479 runs by declaring their second innings at 186 for 6. Shafali Verma (45) and Harmanpreet Kaur (40) were the main contributors with the bat, while Natalie Sciver-Brunt took three wickets for England Women.
England Women faced an uphill task of saving the match on the third day, but they crumbled under pressure and were dismissed for 131 runs in 27.3 overs. Deepti Sharma continued her superb form with the ball, taking four more wickets for 32 runs, while Pooja Vastrakar took three for 18. Rajeshwari Gaikwad and Renuka Singh also picked up a wicket each. None of the England Women’s batswomen could score more than 20 runs, as they suffered their heaviest defeat by runs in Tests.
Deepti Sharma was adjudged the player of the match for her outstanding performance, as she became the first Indian woman to score a fifty and take a five-wicket haul in the same Testā“. She also became the second woman in Test history to take nine wickets and score more than 50 runs in a match, after Australia’s Betty Wilson in 1958.
India Women’s coach Amol Muzumdar praised Deepti Sharma for her match-winning display, calling her the ‘Ben Stokes of the team’. He also lauded the team’s positive approach and aggressive mindset, which helped them secure a historic win.
England Women’s captain Heather Knight expressed her disappointment with the team’s performance, admitting that they were outplayed in all departments by India Women. She said that the team needed to learn from their mistakes and improve their skills, especially against spin bowling, ahead of their next Test against Australia in January 2024.
