Sciver-Brunt: Deepti’s varying lengths made things hard for batters

With India mounting a massive total for the visitor to chase, England’s Natalie Sciver-Brunt has clear instructions for her ‘tiring’ troops.

Deepti Sharma celebrates taking a fifer against England. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU

In the run-up to the lone Test between India and England, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said she did not expect the wicket to turn, while her opposite number Heather Knight was ready to see spinners thrive over the course of the fixture. However, it looks like only one side got their combination right for the surface used.

“The surface is already taking to spin, but it is not consistent and that is the hardest bit about it,” Natalie Sciver-Brunt, the only batter of note in the English first innings with a 70-ball 59, said here on Friday.

With India mounting a massive total for the visitor to chase, the England vice captain has clear instructions for her ‘tiring’ troops.

READ | India tightens grip on day two with Deepti’s five-wicket haul

“I would speak a little bit about the surface and about the intent to score and in which areas. The bounce from the seamers is not very high and so, looking to score down the ground as much as we can will be important,” she said.

Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana in tandem proved to be thorns that tore through the English rose.

“Her varying lengths made things hard with the batters not knowing whether to come forward or back,” she added.

“During the innings break, we saw patches on the wicket and my idea was to bowl into those patches which would give us some assistance,” Deepti said, esctatic about her maiden Test fifer.

“Bowling partnerships are as important as batting partnerships because Sneh was bowling before me. So we were talking about the areas to bowl in and the flight we would get,” she added, with the duo sharing seven wickets.

Deepti dismissed the idea of India looking past the follow-on so the batters could get some red ball practice ahead of the harder challenge of facing Australia in a few days’ time.

“We don’t think so far ahead. We didn’t have too much time to prepare for this format. When we do get to bat, the idea is to spend as much time productively in the middle,” she added.