Shafali Verma continued to amaze the cricketing world with her audacious strokeplay as she became only the fourth player in the history of women’s Tests to smash two half-centuries on debut, taking India to 83/1 at stumps on the third day of one-off Test against England.
The teenage prodigy was batting on 55 not out off 68 balls in the Indian second innings when the day’s play ended with the third session was washed out by rains.
The 17-year-old, who had made 96 in the first innings, has hit 11 boundaries so far in her second innings knock.
Before Verma, Lesley Cooke (England), Jessica Louise Jonassen (Australia) and Vanessa Bowen (Sri Lanka) were the other players who have scored two 50-plus scores in their debut matches.
Another debutant Deepti Sharma, who was promoted to No. 3 after her resolute 29 not out in India’s first innings, was giving Verma company at the crease on 18 not out. The duo defied the England bowlers for 20 overs and added 54 runs in the post-lunch session when Tea was called due to rain. The day’s play did not resume thereafter.
Only 45.5 overs were possible on the day with three rain delays or interruptions.
The other India opener, Smriti Mandhana, was dismissed in the morning session for 8. India are still trailing by 82 runs with nine second innings wickets in hand in the four-day match.
Earlier, India Women were left with a mountain to climb after being shot out for 231 in their first innings, half an hour before lunch. After a dramatic collapse on the second day on Thursday, India’s batting woes continued as they lost five wickets for the addition of just 44 runs in 21.2 overs in the morning session, undoing the tremendous effort by Verma (96) and Mandhana (78).
Deepti (29 not out) and Pooja Vastrakar (12) put up a 33-run stand for the ninth wicket but could not save the team from following on in response to England’s first innings total of 396/9 declared.
Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone (4/88) was the pick of the England bowlers with four wickets while pacers Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole took the last two Indian wickets.
India scored their first run of the day after 20 balls and by then had lost two wickets, including the crucial one of vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
Harmanpreet was out after an England went for review.
Tanya Bhatia fell two overs later without disturbing the scorer after facing six balls. She too was dismissed by Ecclestone, who then accounted for Sneh Rana (2) with a turning delivery to reduce India to 197/8.
England took the new ball after 80 overs and the Indian first innings ended 1.2 overs after that with the dismissal of Pooja Vastrakar (12) and Jhulan Goswami (1).
Brief scores: England Women 396/9 decl. India Women 231 & (following on ) 83/1 (S. Verma 55 batting). At Stumps, Day III.