Recent Match Report – India (W) vs England (W) Only Test 2023/24

India 428 (Shubha 69, Rodrigues 68, Deepti 67, Bhatia 66, Bell 3-67, Ecclestone 3-91) and 186 for 6 dec (Harmanpreet 44*, Dean 4-68) beat England 136 (Sciver-Brunt 59, Deepti 5-7) and 131 (Deepti 4-32, Vastrakar 3-23) by 347 runs

While Deepti’s remarkable 5 for 7 had sent England into a tailspin on the second day, it was Vastrakar who sparked their downfall on Saturday after India declared overnight on 186 for 6. Deepti finished them off, taking nine wickets in all to add to her first-innings half-century for Player-of-the-Match honours.

Given that the highest successful fourth-innings run chase in women’s Tests is Australia’s 198 for 3 to beat England in Sydney in 2011, to call it a 479-run “target” seemed trite and Vastrakar’s early inroads ensured that.

It was India Women’s first Test win at home against England in six attempts, the margin of victory the largest by runs in women’s Tests, and was all wrapped up in an extended morning session on the third day.

When Vastrakar got one to hold its line from outside off and draw an outside edge from Heather Knight, England slumped to 68 for 4.

Deepti then orchestrated the procession, flummoxing Danni Wyatt with a fantastic offbreak taken at slip and removing Amy Jones via a loose pull to midwicket to get at the England tail. She removed Kate Cross with one that turned ferociously from outside off to peg back leg stump and lured Lauren Filer down the pitch with the flight on one that kept low after turning in and pinged middle stump.