England’s misery proves contagious as women’s Test side rissoled inside three days
England have fallen to a crushing 347-run defeat in their one-off women’s cricket Test match to India inside three days in Mumbai.
After skittling the Poms for 136 runs in the first innings, the hosts added on 186 before declaring to leave England a target of 479 to chase down from the final two days of play, but it took India just one session on Saturday to bowl them out and record a first home victory in nine years.
Heather Knight top-scored for the visitors with 21 runs as India swept up 10 wickets in just 27.3 overs, rolling England for 131.
Openers Tammy Beaumont and Sophia Dunkley started England’s second innings in a more assured manner than the first and put on 28 runs before the first wicket fell. Beaumont was clean-bowled by Renuka Singh Thakur.
The visitors had already collapsed in their first showing with the bat and another was looking increasingly likely when Pooja Vastrakar claimed two wickets from two balls, first Dunkley (15) before Nat Sciver-Brunt walked on a golden duck.
Then came England’s highest partnership of the innings as Knight and Danni Wyatt managed 31 runs inside the next four overs, but the stand was soon broken when Knight became Vastrakar’s third victim before Wyatt fell to Deepti Sharma for the second time in the match.
With five wickets down, it appeared a matter of time before England’s defeat was sealed and the visitors slipped from 4-83 to 6-83 when Amy Jones and Sophie Ecclestone were sent packing.
Sharma smashed through England’s tail when she clean-bowled Kate Cross and then Lauren Filer to claim her fourth of the innings.
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England’s defeat was confirmed when Lauren Bell spooned one into the hands of Jemimah Rodrigues at silly point to secure India a first Test win at home against England in six attempts.