It was the best of days, and yet, the worst of days, for India Women at Bristol. After England Women declared on 396/9, Shafali Verma (96) and Smriti Mandhana (78) waltzed away to a 167-run stand. This is now the highest opening partnership for India, the third-highest overall, and the highest opening stand for any country since 2004.
Then, just when it seemed India had done enough for the day, Verma’s shot off Kate Cross soared in the air, only for mid off to catch it. Mandhana, who had taken a sedate, passive role in the stand, perished 12 runs later, caught off Nat Sciver.
That opened the floodgates. Shikha Pandey, promoted at four to see off the day, was beaten in flight by Heather Knight for a duck. Sophie Ecclestone had Mithali Raj caught at bat-pad. And Punam Raut’s 31-ball 2 ended when she shouldered arms to a straight ball from Knight. Given out, she referred, and India lost a review. India had lost 5 for 16 in 57 balls.
Ecclestone could have taken out Harmanpreet Kaur as well with the last ball of the final day, but Kaur’s review revealed an inside edge. Not out on 4, Kaur will resume batting with Deepti Sharma. India’s strategy of packing their side with all-rounders mean they have batters stacked till No. 11. However, Kaur will hold the key against Ecclestone and Knight, and India’s fortunes in the Test match will depend on her.
Before all that, Verma and Mandhana dominated a strong English pace attack that, just like their Indian counterparts, could extract little from the surface. Verma took them on early in the innings, the most outrageous of her shots being an absurdly hard-hit six over mid-off, off Sciver. She hit a four to reach her fifty, and when Ecclestone tried to entice her with flight, she dismissed her for six over long-on.
Mandhana, too, matched her in panache, especially when she drove, in the air or along the ground, but Verma was batting on another planet. She hit over the infield, placed her cuts well, and steered Cross to the third-man fence with ease.
Earlier, Sophia Dunkley (74 not out) and Anya Shrubsole (47 in 33 balls) made merry during a ninth-wicket stand of 70, scored in just 59 balls. Knight declared as soon as Shrubsole got out. The three wickets of the morning went to Jhulan Goswami (1-58), Deepti (3-65), and Sneh Rana (4-131).
Brief scores
England Women 396/9 decl. (Heather Knight 95; Sneh Rana 4-131) lead India Women 187/5 (Shafali Verma 96; Heather Knight 2-1) by 209 runs.