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India strike early before England lose Jones in women's Test at Lord's / Photo: © AFP
India strike early before England lose Jones in women's Test at Lord's
India struck three early blows before capturing the prize wicket of Amy Jones in the inaugural women's Test at Lord's on Saturday.
England slumped to 47-4 on the second day of four before captain Nat Sciver-Brunt (39 not out) and Jones (52) shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 84.
Jones, however, fell shortly before lunch when she gave a simple bat-pad catch to short leg off the bowling of off-spinner Sneh Rana.
England were 137-5 at the interval, 148 runs behind India's first-innings 285 all out.
New-ball bowler Kranti Gaud led India's attack with an impressive return of 3-25 in 10 overs on another sunny and hot day in London.
India's total was built on left-handed opener Smriti Mandhana's elegant 83 and fifties from captain Harmanpreet Kaur and all-rounder Deepti Sharma.
No side making more than 282 in the first innings of a women's Test has yet lost the match.
England veteran opener Tammy Beaumont, in her last match before international retirement, was lbw to Gaud's inswinger for just two late on Friday.
Her side resumed on 21-1 only to lose two for no runs in four balls early Saturday as they slumped to 32-3, with India's seamers settling into an accurate line and length far more quickly than their England counterparts.
Maia Bouchier, 17 not out overnight, pushed loosely outside off stump to Gaud and was caught behind for 23.
And 32-2 became 32-3 when former England captain Heather Knight was lbw to Sayali Satghare for six.
The collapse continued when Gaud produced a superb delivery that slanted in and then swung away to bowl Alice Capsey for nine.
England were now in dire straits at 47-4.
But Sciver-Brunt, fresh from her 58 not out in England's T20 World Cup final defeat by Australia at Lord's last week, drove Satghare past mid-on for four to take her side past 50.
And she found a willing ally in Jones, who put a run of low scores in the T20 World Cup behind her with a well-made fifty in just 59 balls, including six fours.
After 142 years of men's Test cricket at Lord's, this fixture represents another landmark in the evolution of the women's game.
This Test is taking place 50 years after the first major women's match at the ground, a one-day international between England and Australia.
L. Rodrigues--JDB
