Indian Women's Cricket team's historic win over England: Standout performers

The Indian Women's Cricket team created history at DY Patil Stadium, clinching a significant victory over England by 347 runs earlier this week.

Under the leadership of Deepti Sharma, the Indian bowlers limited England to less than 200 runs in both innings, making it the biggest win in Women's cricket history.

These are the standout performers from the game.

Debutant Shubha dominate

Shubha Sateesh, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Renuka Singh Thakur marked their test debuts in Mumbai, showcasing impressive performances right from the start.

Shubha Sateesh, previously drafted by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the WPL auction for the second season, immediately left an impact on her India debut. Despite not featuring in many games this season, the left-handed batter silenced skeptics by seizing the opportunity. Her innings commenced with a boundary, and she continued to excel.

Facing the setback of losing both openers early, Shubha formed a crucial partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues, stabilizing the innings for the home side.

Unfortunately, she couldn't bat in the second innings due to a broken finger, but her noteworthy debut left a lasting impression.

Jemimah Rodrigues makes it count

Despite being in the Indian setup for a while, Jemimah Rodrigues had to wait patiently for her Test cap. The day finally arrived for the Mumbai batter, and she grabbed it with both hands, ending with an impressive 99-ball 68.

Just days earlier, Rodrigues had led the Mumbai team to victory in the Senior T20 Trophy, also finishing as the leading run-scorer of the tournament. The Mumbai captain continued her remarkable run, concluding as one of the top scorers in the match.

Deepti Sharma's show

Once again, Deepti Sharma emerged as India's star in the longer format of the game, leaving one to ponder what she could achieve if India played more Test cricket. Undoubtedly, the all-rounder shone as the standout player in the match, making valuable contributions with both bat and ball. Her 113-ball 67 in the first innings played a pivotal role in India's formidable total of 428.

Thriving on a turning track, Deepti Sharma's experience proved invaluable as she posed challenges for the opposition batters. Her deceptive pace and reading difficulty made it a dilemma for England batters, oscillating between defending and attacking. In the first innings, she needed just 5.3 overs, and in the second, a mere 8 overs, to dismantle England's innings.

Deepti Sharma's dominance persisted throughout the match, culminating in an impressive tally of nine wickets (5/7 and 4/32).

Yastika Bhatia's impact

Yastika Bhatia reentered the Indian playing XI after a hiatus, having last featured in the Bangladesh series in July 2023 but missing out on the playing XI for the England White-ball series. The wicket-keeper batter marked her comeback with a commendable 88-ball 66, achieving her maiden half-century in style with a six.

Harmanpreet Kaur's captaincy debut

Harmanpreet Kaur notched scores of 49 and an unbeaten 44* on her Test captaincy debut. In the first innings, she faced a struggle to regain her ground and was run out on 49. Opting for a strategic declaration overnight in the second innings, Kaur chose to remain unbeaten at 44.

In the post-match presentation, she highlighted that while she had opportunities to reach her half-century in this game, prioritizing the initial 40 minutes of the morning session was crucial to put the visitors on the back foot. Kaur expressed confidence in having future opportunities to achieve higher scores.

Pooja Vastrakar's morning

The morning of the third day of the Test belonged entirely to the Madhya Pradesh all-rounder. As highlighted by Indian captain Kaur, the bowlers effectively utilized the early hours, swiftly dismissing the England top order.

Renuka Singh bowled Tammy Beaumont, while Pooja Vastrakar orchestrated a pivotal over, removing Sophia Dunkley and Nat Sciver-Brunt. Notably, Sciver-Brunt, England's top-scorer in the first innings, succumbed to a golden duck in the second, courtesy of Vastrakar's impeccable length ball.

Vastrakar continued her impressive performance by strategically setting up and dismissing Heather Knight for 21. This led to the exposure of England's inexperienced lower order, vulnerable against the Indian spinners.

Beyond her bowling prowess, Pooja Vastrakar's in-circle fielding intensified pressure on the batters. In the first innings, she ran out Tammy Beaumont with a direct hit, showcasing her multifaceted contribution to the team.

Sneh Rana's magical spell

In the first innings, as the Indian bowlers disrupted England's top order, an exceptional effort was required to halt Nat Sciver-Brunt. The England all-rounder stood out, thriving on the turning track while others struggled. Scoring 10 boundaries in her 70-ball 59, she posed a threat to the host side, seemingly taking the game away.

It took something extraordinary from the Indian bowlers to dismiss Sciver-Brunt, and that came from Sneh Rana. With a sharp spin from outside off, Rana surprised Sciver-Brunt, whose attempt to cut was thwarted by the vicious spin, leading to the ball hitting the stumps. Sneh Rana's crucial intervention prevented England from posting a higher total on the board.

Renuka Singh's memorable debut

Despite facing challenges in the Senior T20 Trophy and sitting out for a few matches, Renuka Singh made a strong comeback in the white-ball series against England and carried that dominance into the Test format. On her Test debut, she showcased her prowess by claiming two crucial wickets.

In the first innings, Renuka dismissed Sophia Dunkley with her trademark Inswinger, maintaining a consistent record of getting Dunkley out in all their encounters during this series. In the second innings, she effectively removed Tammy Beaumont, knocking out the off stump and contributing significantly to India's performance.

Other contributors:

The Indian opening pair of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana initiated their innings in the series but couldn't convert starts into substantial scores. The duo will undoubtedly aim for a strong comeback against Australia in the upcoming matches.

In the bowling department, Rajeshwari Gayakwad remained wicketless in the first innings but bounced back in the second, dismissing Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Bell. Gayakwad disrupted Ecclestone's stumps early in the innings. Despite Bell's attempt at some adventurous lofted shots, she ultimately fell victim to Gayakwad, concluding the Test match on a high note for the Indian spinner.

What's next for India?

India is set to host Australia in a multi-format series starting with a Test match at Wankhede Stadium on December 21st.