Hello and welcome to the highlights of Day 3 of the one-off Test between India Women and England Women from Bristol County Ground. This is
Lavanya Lakshminarayanan and I'll be taking you through proceedings today.
Follow LIVE coverage of day 4 of the Bristol Test here:
Thank you for joining us today. An exciting and sadly final day of Test cricket beckons tomorrow. Let's hope the game gets the exciting end it's been building up towards. Over to Twitter Spaces now. Find us on @Sportstarweb. Take care, good night!
Match report:
10:10pm - We have a more encouraging forecast for tomorrow. With 108 overs scheduled for the day, let's hope the rains stay away. England need's Shafali Verma's wicket. India needs Shafali to erase that deficit and build up a competitive score to either draw the game or actually leave the game open for England to try and win it. It's been a patchy day of cricket, but we have so much to talk about. Do join us on our Twitter Spaces where we'll discuss this game and more.
OFFICIAL UPDATE: DAY'S PLAY HAS BEEN ABANDONED
5.29pm: That's all folks! Play has officially been abandoned for the day. There are 108(!) overs scheduled to be bowled tomorrow, and the forecast is significantly better. It should be a really intriguing day, with the loss of this session boosting India's chances of saving the game significantly. England need to get Shafali Verma out within the first hour if they are to force victory
UPDATE:
There seems to be an inspection in place now. Cold and wet conditions. The rain seems to have stopped but conditions are very windy. We should have a decision soon.
If you're looking to kill time, we have some stuff you might be interested in:
1. Podcast: Check out our chat with Harsha Bhogle where the veteran Indian broadcaster Harsha Bhogle where he says the time for a Women's IPL is now and BCCI stands the risk of missing out if it doesn't catch up. Jump to the middle for the women's portion.
2. Sandhya Agarwal , the first global superstar of Indian women’s cricket team, has been calling for the restoration of Test cricket among the girls for a long time. She will perhaps be the happiest to catch Mithali Raj and Co. in action against England. Read here:
I've been dipping into Twitter and ClubHouse to see what the chatter is like and the number of people speaking about the game is heartening. What was your favourite part of day's play? Join us on Twitter Spaces after stumps today to discuss
GIRLS WHO GAME:
9PM: I am trying to scan a few accounts of folks in Bristol to see what the weather is looking like. The BBC says 'it's not looking promising'. Very cloudy conditions in Bristol right now. Is this Test going to make the WTC Final fate for the day? (Just when things were getting interesting, sigh).
------ TEA------
Shafali joins a very special club of debutants who have scored consecutive fifties in a match
- Lesley Cook, Vanessa Bowen and Jess Jonassen. What a bunch!
Half centuries in both innings in Test matches for India
Shafali Verma 96 & 55* against England in Bristol (2021)
Garji Banerjee 60 & 75 against England in Blackpool (1986)
Sandhya Agarwal 134 & 83 against Australia in Mumbai (1984)
Rain stops play yet again. We were just beginning to see Deepti Sharma open up and start looking to the boundaries, but rain has played spoilsport. We will wait to hear from the authorities now. India trails by 82 runs.
22.4 ANOTHER HALF CENTURY FOR SHAFALI VERMA.
Shafali clips the ball down the leg side to bring up another 50-score. Second consecutive fifty for the teenager. What a game this has been for her. Shafali became only the fourth batter to score half-centuries in both innings of a debut Test. Her knock was studded with 10 hits to the fence.
Read more here:
Length ball on fourth stump,
clipped into the leg side to bring up fifty! The first Indian woman to make twin fifties in her debut Test, and the youngest player overall. Very low-key celebration... she's looking to push on
18.5 FOUR
Deepti Sharma with the cover drive now for four. That was generous from Cross.
8:10pm:
The covers are off. Shafali and Deepti are back in the middle, Kate Cross begins proceedings.
Rain halts play. The showers are heavy now, as expected around lunch. The forecast though predicts rain only for the next 10-15 minutes, meanwhile BBC predicts a longer spell of rain.
7:45pm : Shafali and Deepti have steadied the Indian innings, with a very set Shafali taking the onus of scoring upon herself. We should not dismiss Deepti's contribution here. She has steadied the innings at one end and given Shafali some freedom to let loose at the other.
Shafali: 46 (53)
Deepti: 1 (44)
Look at how different the complexions of these innings are. But so crucial here to stabilise India's innings.
We're back. Deepti Sharma joins Shafali out in the middle. Interesting call this. Is it a left-hand, right-hand combination thing? Or is it because she was around earlier and is a little more keyed in to the conditions?
6.37pm: Covers have come off, according to BBC. We will resume in five minutes
WEATHER UPDATE:
Light drizzle crossing over Bristol. Play is delayed by a few minutes. The covers are on as a precautionary measure.
It's been quite an eventful session. Shafali Verma is India's trump card and India's fortunes will depend on how long she's out there. Punam Raut and Mithali Raj get a do-over today and have to be proactive in their contributions for the side here. Heather Knight has spiced the game up a bit with this follow-on enforcement. Even though India has an opportunity to get a little ahead here, it throws the game open and allows for a result perhaps. The next session will be crucial for both sides to see which way the momentum of this match oscillates.
Shafali Verma on her 'almost century'
For those who doesn't understand Hindi, please read the text story here:
----- LUNCH -----
Watch Smriti Mandhana's dismissal here
4.3 OUT BRUNT STRIKES AGAIN. Mandhana goes.
Great way to build up an appetite for lunch here for England. Full length delivery, pitching up a little draws Mandhana out to drive but she's not connected what she wanted to be a cover drive. Very thick edge and that carries to Sciver at second slip.
STAT: SHAFALI VERMA HAS MADE A HUNDRED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. She is the first player under the age of 18 to score more than 100 runs in a Test match.
Shafali has quickly moved onto 12 from 9 balls. Very fast paced start here from the teenager. Three boundaries so far. She is fearless, is Shafali.
Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana are back in the middle. Onus on them to get India through that deficit to begin with. ODI mode today?
Sophie Ecclestone on Sky: I didn't bowl as well as I could have done. I got a bit of drift this morning. Attacking the stumps and keeping them in play is a massive thing for me. It's a bit colder and windier but the seamers will want to bowl in this weather.
About the follow on: I think it's nice to have the option (to enforce the follow-on). Nice to get a smile on (Brunt and Shrubsole's) faces.
----- IND 1st innings: 231 all out. England has enforced the follow on ----
READ:
81.2 OUT AND ITS JHULAN WHO GOES. That's a wrap on the Indian innings. An inswinger undoes Goswami there, right between bat and pad.
Shrubsole comes in.
80.1 WHAT A BALL. VASTRAKAR IS CLEANED UP THERE by Brunt. Beautiful delivery. That ball angles away from the bat there, seemingly pitching on leg stump. It's clipped off one solitary bail. That's enough to send Vastrakar straight back to the pavilion.
New ball has been taken and there's a drizzle in Bristol. Groundstaff are waiting with the covers on the sidelines.
Dunkley has been generous and Knight is done experimenting. Brunt comes in now.
76.4 Back-to-back boundaries for India
thanks to a few loose deliveries here from Dunkley. The host needs to keep the pressure up on India. I wonder what Knight's strategy is if they can enforce the follow on. Will they?
Sophia Dunkley comes on.
After a brilliant 74 on debut earlier in this game, let's see if 'Dunkie' can get anything for her side with the ball.
WATCH:
While you grab your refreshments, here's a little piece of early magic from Ecclestone to dismiss Harmanpreet Kaur
DRINKS
75.4 Vastrakar is off the mark with a boundary.
She's beaten the cover fielder. Punched away. Ecclestone to Vastrakar, FOUR runs
We do need to remember that Pooja Vastrakar can bat. She had a heartening domestic season the Senior Women's ODI trophy and in state association games where she even got a double hundred, if I am not mistaken. Of course, the international game is a different ball game, but its worth putting some faith in her to give this 40-run barrier India has to see off now a try.
STAT: Four wickets so far for Sophie Ecclestone. Her best in Test cricket so far. Can she manage a fifer?
Jhulan remains to come in for India, but for now Vastrakar and Deepti Sharma need to build a partnership here. Heather Knight brings herself on.
69.3 OUT. SNEH RAHA WALKS.
I was getting ready to talk about how positive Rana;s technique was looking here. She was not defensive, she was not meek before Ecclestone. However, this one pitches a little outside leg. Rana is facing Ecclestone with a full front of the bat face, but doesn't fully connect. The ball goes past Rana towards Amy Jones and she makes no mistake. India in all kinds of trouble. Vastrakar comes in.
That is an absolute ripper! Pitches outside leg, rips away across the bat face to take the nick as Amy Jones takes it on the second grab. Rana was playing for the one that straightens, but this one turned and turned big. Fourth for Ecclestone
63.1 BHATIA HAS TO GO. Ecclestone has come through all guns blazing,beating Bhatia completely here. Very similar to Harman's decision this. Ecclestone to Bhatia, OUT. Bhatia wastes a review. Not the dream debut she would have wanted.
61.1 Harman has to go. PERFECT START for England. Ecclestone gets Harman out first ball. Ecclestone believes she's got Harman on the pads, Redfern doesn't agree. Ecclestone has convinced Knight to take the review. Ball tracking confirms Harman's worst fears. The horror show continues for India. India needs 60 runs to avoid the follow on.
Sciver and Ecclestone beginning proceedings today.
Ahead of LIVE action, here's a quick plug:
Day 2 video highlights: Courtesy: ECB
What to look out for on day 3:
1. All eyes on Harmanpreet: Harmanpreet is India's only specialist batter left in this Indian line-up. India avoiding the follow on will heavily depend on the time she is at the crease
2. Weather conditions: If we do get some rain today, it will be interesting to see how the pitch acts. It has favoured the batters and been a little dead for the bowlers all day except in the evening.
3. England's game plan: England will want to force India to follow on and bowl them out quickly there to to draw out a positive result from this game. Given that we have two full days of cricket left, this is still anyone's game.
That Shrubsole innings goes unnoticed what with Dunkley's assured innings for England and then Shafali's fireworks when India took to the field. Despite the late evening collapses for both England and India, the batters have looked in fine touch through the day sessions. The pitch barely has anything for the seam bowlers in the team. It will be interesting to see how England negotiates the Indian tail, with vice captain Harmanpreet Kaur standing ahead of the line in this first session on day 3.
Day 2 recap: Good afternoon everyone. It's day 3 of the Bristol Test and we have an exciting day of cricket coming up. A recap of day 2 first.
With the overnight scoreboard reading 269/6, it was a bright positive start overall for England on the morning of day 2, despite losing Katherine Brunt early. Sophia Dunkley and Sophie Ecclestone carried England over the 300 mark and Anya Shrubsole T20-esque 47-run cameo got the host to 396/6, prompting skipper Heather Knight to declare.
India started strong with Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana registering India's highest opening partnership in women's Tests - 167. Shafali fell four runs short of a century which left her livid at herself. Mandhana couldn't carry on for too long either as wickets tumbled in quick succession - four wickets for four runs. Bringing in Shikha Pandey as the nightwatcher didn't go as planned as India lost batting mainstays Mithali Raj and Punam Raut. Deepthi Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur will take guard for India on day 3. The weather is expected to play up on Friday so India will need to survive the first session of play, particularly avoid the follow on. Knight was the most successful bowler with two wickets, with Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross and Nat Sciver getting one each - spinners to the fore yet again. Can India avoid the follow on? We'll have to wait and see
RELATED: Day 2 Report
Shafali Verma hit a brilliant 96 on debut and Smriti Mandhana made 78 before five quick wickets derailed India as the visitor slumped to 187 for five in the first innings in reply to England's 396 for nine declared at stumps on the second day of the one-off Test in Bristol on Thursday.
Former India cricketers Shubhangi Kulkarni and Sudha Shah on their experiences in Test cricket and why this one-off Test is a positive note in Indian women's cricket history
Where are the teams playing?
The one-off Test will be played at the Bristol County Ground. Bristol has not seen a men's or women's Test match yet.
Where to watch - telecast and live streaming details
The one-off Test match between India and England women in India will be telecast on Sony TEN 1 and available for live streaming on Sony Liv. Jio TV and Airtel XStream will also provide live streaming
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