Women's Cricket
Indian women's cricket team decimates England to record a historic win
Deepti Sharma led the way as the Indian women's cricket team defeated England by 347 runs to create new record in women's test.
Indian women's cricket team defeated England by 347 runs to register biggest win by runs in test cricket.
Indian women's cricket team decimated England by 347 runs in the one-off test match as Deepti Sharma emerged as the wrecker-in-chief on Saturday.
India declared their second innings at the overnight score of 186 for 6, leaving England to climb a huge mountain of 479 runs in their second innings.
Led by all-rounder Deepti Sharma and pacer Pooja Vastrakar, India bundled England for 131 to record a huge victory as it stands as the biggest win in terms of runs in the history of women's test cricket.
It was also India's first win over England at home in 15 Tests, having beaten them in away games twice in 2014, giving them a big boost ahead of the one-off Test against Australia starting here next week.
For the last three days, the Indians did not show any rust of not having played Test cricket in two years, and a first at home after nine years, while being at their ruthless best.
But for all that slew of records, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side should thank Deepti (8-2-32-4) who was in her element after that sensational 5 for seven in the first innings.
India did not have to wait for long for the first breakthrough this morning as Renuka Singh removed Tammy Beaumont followed by twin blows from Vastrakar in the form of Sophie Dunkley and Nat Sciver-Brunt for a first-ball duck, getting the ball to nip back in and passing it through between the bat and the pad.
An on-song Vastrakar had one nipping away after pitching to find an outside edge off Knight's bat, as Yastika Bhatia did the rest behind the stumps. Knight made a 20-ball 21 with four boundaries.
England's misery continued when Wyatt edged a delivery to the first slip for Deepti's first wicket in the innings after making 12.
Deepti then had Amy Jones (5) pulling one straight to short midwicket, and in her seventh over of the innings, the 26-year-old hit the timber twice to dismiss Kate Cross (16) and Lauren Filer (0).
While Deepti narrowly missed taking 10 wickets in the game to become the first Indian Women's player to do so, Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2/20) enjoyed some success.
The left-arm spinner had her first success in the form of Sophie Ecclestone (10) when the batter went for a sweep and missed to connect, while Lauren Bell (8) was caught by Jemimah Rodrigues at silly point for the final wicket of the game.
It was a perfect outing for India also given that all their debutants in the game — Shubha Satheesh, Rodrigues, and Renuka — tasted success, but there also was a dampener in the form of Shubha missing the action on the second and the third day owing to a fractured finger.
