Image Credit- Sportzpics
In the one-off Test match at the DY Patil Stadium
between India and England, who are playing their 100th match in the format,
skipper Harmanpreet Kaur of India won the toss and chose to bat first on a
chilly morning in Navi Mumbai.
India’s Test caps went to Jemimah Rodrigues, a
batsman, Renuka Singh, a fast bowler, and Satheesh Shubha, a seam bowler by
trade. The hosts chose to use three spinners—Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, and
Rajeshwari Gayakwad—in addition to Harmanpreet, who was available as an
offspinner. Renuka and Pooja Vastrakar were the two seamers.
However, England chose to field all-rounder Nat
Sciver-Brunt alongside Kate Cross, Lauren Bell, and Lauren Filer, who excelled
with her quick pace in the women’s Ashes earlier this year, in a seam line-up
consisting of four players. The thought of playing Alice Capsey, who can bat in
the middle order and chip in with offspin, was too tempting to ignore. After
Emma Lamb was injured, England teamed Sophia Dunkley with Tammy Beaumont as the
opener.
They faced two spinners, Charlie Dean and Sophie
Ecclestone, who had just recovered from a ten-wicket loss in the Ashes and
needed shoulder surgery. The tourists can also choose between Dunkley (legspin)
and Captain Heather Knight (offspin).
This is the first women’s Test in India since 2014,
and the first India are playing since 2021. The pitch wore a brown look with
not much grass on it.
India: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah
Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Shubha Satheesh, Yastika Bhatia (wk),
Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad
England: Tammy Beaumont, Sophia Dunkley, Heather
Knight (capt), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt, Amy Jones (wk), Sophie
Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Kate Cross, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell