Image Credit- BCCI
India dominated the second day’s play in Navi Mumbai
even more than they had on the first, using their bats to weave a web around
England and bowl them out for just 136 against their 428 on the first innings.
As soon as Deepti Sharma took the bowl on a day when England lost 19 wickets,
15 of which were to spin, her abundant usage of flight and turn precipitated
their stunning collapse to 7 for 28. With four maidens in only 5.3 overs,
Deepti concluded with astonishing figures of 5 for 7, her maiden five-for, and
left England looking absolutely bewildered.
Despite having a commanding lead of 292 runs, India
did not enforce the follow-on. They continued to score at a rate well over four
runs per over to close the second day on 186 for 6, extending their lead to 478
with two days remaining in the match. Though Satheesh Shubha, who is making her
debut, is their leading scorer in the first innings, it’s probable that she
won’t bat due to a tiny fracture in her left hand.
England had a respectable lead of 67 for 2 at lunch.
After Tammy Beaumont was hit by Vastrakar, who swooped to square leg from short
midwicket to eliminate any thoughts of a quick single, Beaumont and Nat
Sciver-Brunt brought up a half-century stand. After that, England were unable
to form any more meaningful partnerships.
Sophia Dunkley was dismissed by rookie Renuka Singh
for 11 runs with an inducker, while in the opening session, Vastrakar had taken
skipper Heather Knight by leg before wicket. England were mainly led by the
always dependable Sciver-Brunt from 28 for 2, who got things going with a
barrage of boundaries and continued to collect when the bowlers were too full
or too short. However, India returned after lunch with even more aggression.
Sciver-Brunt was England’s only hope at 126 for 6, but
in the following over, Sneh Rana generously tossed the ball up and turned it in
savagely to beat the batter, and she too lost her off stump. The batters were
consistently outhit by Deepti and Rana’s upward 70 kph pitches, which also had
excellent fly and turn from outside off. Kate Cross gave a return catch to
Deepti, while Lauren Filer also lost her stumps after being hit by the turn.
Charlie Dean was declared leg before wicket when she left one just outside off
against a sharp turn from Rana. After losing their final seven wickets in just
10.2 overs due to spin, England was all out in just 35.3 overs.
Surprisingly, after bowling for just over a session
and with a lead of nearly 300, India chose to bat again. It appeared that the
day would consist of opportunities that would either fall out of the hands of
the England fielders or stick. Later in the last session, England managed to
hold on to four catches, but not before Mandhana and Shafali’s fifty-run
partnership extended the lead past 350.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues used the drives
and sweeps since the England spinners bowled considerably quicker and fuller
than their opponents. Although Rodrigues was moving faster, Beaumont pouched
her third when Dean slowed one down a little. The flight and drift got her
inside the short leg.
After trapping Deepti, who attempted one sweep too
many, Dean quickly achieved a hat-trick by having Rana bowl for a golden duck.
India’s lead had already surpassed 400 runs, so even though their total of 133
for 6 was perilous, they weren’t too concerned. With Harmanpreet looking strong
at one end at stumps, they will be trying to set an even more difficult goal
for themselves on Saturday.