IND W vs ENG W: Dominant India thrash England by 347 runs to win by biggest run margin ever in women’s Tests

Mumbai:  Deepti Sharma capped her brilliant allrounder performance with 4-32, completing a nine-wicket haul for 39 runs, as India Women bundled out England for 131 in their second innings to win the one-off Test by a mammoth 347 runs, the largest victory margin by runs in the history of women’s cricket, at the DY Patil Stadium here on Saturday.

For the record, the visitors’ second innings lasted 127 minutes on the third morning as the hosts won the match with five sessions to spare.

Deepti Sharma, who had destroyed England in their first innings with a five-wicket haul for seven runs, proved the wrecker-in-chief once again and pacer Pooja Vastrakar contributed with a 3-23 haul while Rajeshwari Gayakwad picked 2-20 as Harmanpreet Kaur’s team defeated England Women for the first time at home. In 14 previous Tests, India Women had defeated England twice with both wins coming away in England.

The match belonged to Deepti Sharma as she claimed a nine-wicket haul after scoring a half-century in the first innings, helping the hosts post a massive 428, scoring 400 runs on the opening day for the first time.

Earlier on Saturday morning, India declared their second innings on the overnight score of 186/6, setting up the stage for pacers Renuka Singh Thakur and Pooja Vastrakar to exploit the assistance offered by the pitch in the morning.

Exploit they did as Vastrakar bagged three wickets and Renuka one as the Indian pacers made the most of the chance, putting India on course for victory by claiming the first four wickets.

When Deepti Sharma struck her first blow in the second innings, England were 68/5 in the 15th over and India were cruising towards victory.

Tammy Beaumont and Sophia Dunkley put on 27 for the opening wicket before Renuka struck the first blow, bowling Tammy to cap a testing over. After the first five deliveries moved in from off-stump to middle, the sixth one went straight and crashed into the off-stump. Beaumont, who was expected to be England’s main batter after scoring a double century in their previous Test, got out for 17 off 26 balls, making it 27/1 for England.

Vastrakar then made it 37/3 with two wickets off two balls in the 10th over, sending back Dunkley and Nat Sciver-Brunt in succession.

Dunkley got out tamely, slicing it straight to substitute fielder Harleen Deol at gully, tempted by the width offered. Off the next delivery, Vastrakar castled Sciver-Brunt, hero of England’s first innings with a fighting half-century, for a golden duck with a length ball outside off that straightened and went through the bat-pad gap to hit the off stump.

England skipper Heather Knight struck 14 runs off a Renuka Singh over, hitting the 27-year-old pacer from Himachal Pradesh three boundaries in an over, two of them back-to-back — two wristy flicks as Renuka strayed onto the leg stump and the third a punch between square and deep point off a widish delivery.

Her knock was cut short by Vastrakar, who plotted her downfall with a beautiful delivery.

Vastrakar picked her third wicket of the day when she induced an edge behind from Knight, the delivery going straight after the previous few balls had moved in a bit. Heather Knight prodded at a delivery pitched outside off and Yastika Bhatia caught a straightforward catch.

Deepti Sharma, who destroyed England in the first innings with a maiden five-wicket haul, claimed her sixth wicket for the match when she got Danni Wyatt for 12, a lovely, flighted off-break inducing an edge to Sneh Rana at slips, who picked up a sharp catch.

The England batters seem to have learnt nothing from their first innings debacle as they showed no intent to stay at the wicket nor score runs as they fell like ninepins once again. England’s hopes

Deepti Sharma made it 82/6 when she got Amy Jones for the second time in this match, as the England keeper pulled one straight to Shafali Verma at short midwicket.

Rajeshwari Gayakwad claimed her first wicket of the match when she castled Sophie Ecclestone for 10. Deepti then marched towards a 10-wicket haul in the match with a double-wicket maiden, castling Kate Cross and Lauren Filer with balls that turned viciously from outside off to leave the clueless England batter bamboozled.

Deepti had her fourth wicket for 22 in seven overs, once again bowling beautifully, using the conditions to her advantage. England were down to 108/9, just waiting for the inevitable.

There was no demon in the pitch, though it was offering a vicious spin on occasions if the bowler gave it a serious tweak. But the England batters were totally not equipped to tackle such bowling as they just fell prey to the Indian off-spinner.

With England down to nine wickets, the morning session was extended by half an hour but the hosts didn’t have to wait for long as Rajeshwari Gayakwad induced a top edge from Lauren Bell, which was pouched gleefully by Jemimah Rodrigues, to end the England innings at 131 in 27.3 overs, just five runs short of their first knock in this match.

Deepti Sharma ended with 4-32 for a nine-wicket haul for the match, failing to become the second bowler after Jhulan Goswami to claim a 10-wicket haul in a Test match. Vastrakar got 3-23 while Rajeshwari Gayakwad 2-20 as India won the match by 347 runs.

Brief scores: India 428 & 186/6d beat England 136 & 131 all out in 27.3 overs (Heather Knight 21, Charlie Dean 20 not out; Deepti Sharma 4-32, Pooja Vastrakar 3-23, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 2-20) by 347 runs.

–IANS