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Lord’s, London: India have their noses in front after day two of this historic first Test Match at Lord’s Cricket Ground on Saturday, July 11. 15,243 people showed up at the ‘Home of Cricket,’ the highest attendance ever for a day of Women’s Test Cricket, and they were treated with a dominating Indian performance. A bowling masterclass from Kranti Gaud that has etched her name into the history of Lord’s limited England to a measly 170, and Smriti Mandhana and co extended upon that lead, closing the day 269 runs ahead, and having the match comfortably in their hands.
India started the day taking a team photo in front of the iconic pavilion, and that teamwork would come into play early on. Just as Deepti Sharma insisted at the end of the first day, Kranti Gaud and Sayali Satghare attacked end to end, using their varying styles of pace. Gaud with her speedier skids, found the perfect line to Maia Bouchier, who attempted to cut but just could not read the pace, and edged it to Yastika Bhatia’s gloves behind.
Satghare from the pavilion end launched a loopy inswing which turned from stump to stump, hitting Heather Knight’s pads for an LBW. Knight reviewed the decision and was struck down by an umpire’s call hit on the stumps, which was ironically a softer chance as compared to three reds LBW at the end of day one for Knight which the umpire did not give and India did not review, so surely they blew a sigh of relief given Knight didn’t do much damage.
Gaud picked up her third of the innings with an absolute peach of a Test match delivery, short of good length with the slightest movement, arrowed straight in the narrow gap between bat and pad of Alice Capsey, smashing into the off stump, an absolute dream ball. Within the first ten overs of the day, England found themselves on 47/4, but the experience of captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amy Jones was just what was needed in this situation. The pair went on the charge with the change into spin from Sree Charani and Sneh Rana, who could not keep the momentum set up by the pacers, bowling inconsistent lines and lengths.
The pair brought up a 50-run partnership, and Jones soon completed her half-century as England completed their bounce back following the poor start. But Rana put a smudge on their recovery right before lunch, dismissing Jones on 52. A perfect pitch and turn caught the faintest inside edge, bouncing up her pads and dropping into the hands of Richa Ghosh at silly short leg.
Gaud started the afternoon with yet another masterful delivery. Pitching short of good length again, the ball moved in slightly more, beating Sciver-Brunt’s bat and crashing into the top of her back pad for Sue Redfern to raise her finger. Sciver-Brunt made a fruitless review, as Hawk-Eye just showed the ball’s trajectory headed to the middle of middle stump. The captain departed on 44.
Gaud got England stuttering, and Satghare struck, taking over after her spell ended. Another loopy inswing, this time staying just outside, tempting Sophie Ecclestone, who nicked it behind to Bhatia trying to drive through the covers, and England’s lower order was opened up. Rana found her rhythm, turning in a fuller ball into the stumps to beat Mady Villiers, who had bowled Harmanpreet Kaur in a very similar manner the day before.
England went the next five overs without scoring, with tailender Lauren Bell, and part-time batter Issy Wong just about surviving the rotating gauntlet. It wasn’t long before Gaud would make history, becoming the first woman to join the iconic Lord’s honors board with her five-wicket haul. That fifth wicket came in Bell, who edged the ball to Rana at second slip, bouncing off her hands, and Shafali Verma was quick to react from first slip, moving behind her to grab it one handed just before it hit the ground. A memorable way to complete a memorable milestone for Gaud.
Deepti Sharma finished the job, rewarded for her economical and consistent bowling throughout the innings with an LBW of Lauren Filer, ending England’s innings on 170. Recovering from the sub-par batting, Bell and Filer were all over the place with their deliveries and Verma and Smriti Mandhana took them to town before tea gave them a chance to recuperate.
‘Shafriti’ returned with absolutely no disruption to their flow, despite a slower run rate, as England shuffled with their bowlers, scrambling for any solution. Only an error could help England out, and that error came from Verma. Eager as always, Verma tried hitting over long-on against Ecclestone, but couldn’t clear substitute Emma Lamb at mid-on, heading back for 33 after an 88 run opening stand with Mandhana.
Bhatia came in and the two went on about the same albeit in a slower, yet comfortable manner. Mandhana crossed the fifty mark for the second time in this game and got India to finish the day on 154/1 leading by 269 runs, not out on 69 and with Bhatia on 39.
What they said
Kranti Gaud, India: (On being the first woman on the Lord’s Test honors board) “It’s every players’ dream, taking five wickets in my first (Test) game at Lord’s. I just had one thing in mind and that’s take five wickets and get my name written on the honors board.”
(On her bowling partnership with Sayali Satghare) “Us bowlers, we will obviously go for dot balls, but in a Test match, wickets are more important.”
“Even if a bowler takes a run from one end, we thought that we will bring wickets or dot balls from the other end no matter what, so the plan was that we will focus on the dot ball or wickets.”
Amy Jones, England: “Obviously we would have liked a lot more runs than then. Trying to get the one wicket was… Yeah, it was hard work for sure. I thought they batted really well. Soaked up pressure when we bowled well, and then found the boundary as well. So I thought they did a really good job today.”
(On Gaud’s five wicket haul) “I thought she hit her lengths and obviously with a bit of nip. Yeah, she looked a handful. I didn’t have to face too much of her, luckily. But yeah, to get a fifer at Lord’s, it’s obviously pretty special. So I thought, yeah, very well deserved.”
