Ecclestone stars but tired England run out of time as Rana shows India the way
HEATHER KNIGHT was left to rue the absence of a fifth day after an impressive rearguard from India thwarted England’s bid for a first Test win in seven years.
They looked set for victory when India’s seventh wicket fell on 199, with their lead just 34 and nearly 60 overs to go.
But Sneh Rana, one of five Indian Test debutants, showed her betterknown colleagues how to do it, adding 41 with Shikha Pandey, then an unbroken 104 with Taniya Bhatia.
By the time a draw was agreed at 6.15, Rana had 80 and India were 344 for eight, earning a share of the four points on offer for this one-off Test.
If they show the same fight in the three one-day internationals and three T20s, this multi-format series could develop into a thriller.
The pitch offered l i ttle, and England’s attack began to sag after 202 consecutive overs in the field.
But this was a chance missed for a team who travel to Australia early next year in a bid to reclaim the Ashes. A home game against an inexperienced Indian side beset by selection issues and pay disputes should have been straightforward by comparison.
‘We believed throughout the day we could do it,’ said Knight. ‘We maybe tried too hard to force the wickets on a dour surface. The rain on day three didn’t help, but it was a good advert for us to play more Test cricket.
‘If we’d had another day, what a great finish it would have been. We were almost robbed of that great finish, and I’d definitely be open to playing five-day Test matches.’
When India began the day on 83 for one, still 82 shy of avoiding an innings defeat, the prevailing wisdom was that England needed only to dismiss the 17-year-old starlet Shafali Verma early, and the rest would follow.
Verma obliged, brilliantly caught by a sprinting, diving Katherine Brunt at long-on for 63 off left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone. But England had to wait until the last over before lunch to strike again, as Deepti Sharma dragged an inexplicable slog-sweep on to her stumps off Ecclestone after a patient half-century.
In the first innings, India had lost all 10 wickets for 64 after an opening stand of 167. Now they threatened another meltdown.
Ecclestone bowled captain Mithali Raj, then caught Punam Raut at square leg off Nat Sciver.
When Pooja Vastrakar missed a horrible hack at Knight’s off-spin, and Harmanpreet Kaur top-edged a hoick t o give t he excellent Ecclestone her eighth wicket of the match, England smelled blood.
But reviews were squandered, and the lack of a second frontline spinner began to tell on a typically slow Bristol surface.
After Sciver prised out Pandey, well caught by Amy Jones, Bhatia
continued the fight — and England were unable to deliver the decisive blow in what was a strong advert for women’s Test cricket.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli navigated a bowler-friendly day in Southampton to hold together India’s batting in the World Test Championship
final. The India captain survived a review on 17 to finish unbeaten on 44 in a score of 146 for three.