NEW DELHI: Debutants
Shubha Satheesh
and
Jemimah Rodrigues
showcased impressive performances with fine half-centuries as India adopted an ultra-aggressive batting approach, amassing a commanding total of 410 for 7 at stumps on Day 1 of their one-off women's Test against England in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.
In their first Test appearance in nearly two years and the maiden red-ball game on home soil in nine years, India maintained an aggressive batting stance on the
DY Patil Stadium
's friendly surface, scoring at a rate of almost five runs per over.
Shubha, 24, stood out with a remarkable 76-ball 69, embellished with 13 boundaries. Her innings reflected impeccable footwork and a keen understanding of the line and length, achieving a strike rate of nearly 91.
Shubha became the 12th Indian batter to secure a half-century on debut but fell short of converting it into a century. Her departure came when
Sophie Ecclestone
(1/85) dismissed her, caught by Nat Sciver-Brunt.
Jemimah, too, delivered a knock worthy of her skill, hitting 11 fours during her 99-ball stay at the crease. While appearing poised for a century, she played onto her stumps off Lauren Bell (2/64).
Shubha and Jemimah were instrumental in setting the tone for the hosts' domination after the team appeared to be stuttering following a brisk start, adding 115 runs for the third wicket to enter the record books.
The partnership between the duo is now the second-highest in Test cricket for the third wicket.
It was a day when the Indians were within sniffing distance of resetting several records but fell short.
India skipper
Harmanpreet Kaur
began with a sweep shot and looked in a rich vein of form, but her bat got stuck in the ground while completing a run and Dani Wyatt's throw ended her stay.
Harmanpreet walked back to the dressing room having scored an 81-ball 49 with six fours, but more importantly, she and Yastika Bhatia (66) put on 116 runs for the fifth wicket, which is the second-highest stand for India in the format.
Yastika was brisk in getting runs, though at no stage did she appear to be taking risks. The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter was fluent on both sides of the wicket, cracking 10 fours and the only six of the innings.
Lauren dropped a regulation catch at mid-on off Charlie Dean (1/62) when Yastika, on 15, mistimed a sweep and the ball went high up in the air.
Yastika too had to contend with a maiden half-century in her second Test outing as Lauren did not err while taking a catch for the second time at the same spot, off the same bowler.
India were far from done as Deepti Sharma (60) and Sneh Rana (30) joined forces to pile more misery on England on a hot and humid day, adding 92 runs for the seventh wicket, which took the hosts past the 400-run mark.
For England, who bowled 94 out of a possible 100 overs, opportunities were few and far between. Luck also did not favour them, with a few edges flying past their fielders while both the DRS calls too went waste.
Indian openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma made confident starts but perished inside the first 10 overs after putting on 25 runs.
Mandhana (17 off 12 balls, 3x4s) punished the fuller deliveries as India were quick off the blocks, but Lauren's ploy to pull back her length resulted in the Indian opener chopping one on to her leg stump.
Lauren got the ball to nip back into the left-handed Mandhana, who was cramped for room as the ball bounced just enough to take an inside edge.
Shafali remained rooted to the leg stump, which meant the early movement from Kate Cross (1/64) troubled her around the off-stump.
Having been beaten a few times, Shafali (19 off 30 balls, 4x4s) could do little when a Kate Cross delivery nipped away off the surface to send the Indian batter's off-stump cart-wheeling.
(With PTI Inputs)
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