Indian women held on their nerve to save an incredible test match.
Indian women were back in whites after 2401 long days and the comeback was truly memorable. India were on the verge of defeat at one stage and went on to save the test match from there. It was truly a sensational comeback.
It wasn't just a pale draw. It was one of the greatest rareguard one could ever see. At one stage, India were tottering down with 199-7 and 240/8 and were just 34 and 75 runs ahead respectively of England. There were still more than 60 overs left in the day's play. India went on to save the test from there.
The most fascinating part of the test was the performance of the debutants. None of them really looked like zero test olds. They all stepped up when required and held the fortress away from home. Yes, Indian women are yet to lose a test in England.
Out of the five debutants, four of them displayed what they were capable of. They played like champs and were never down even in the toughest of situations. Let's see how the key debutants impacted in the test.
SHAFALI VERMA
The 17-year old batter carried her touch from the shortest format to the longest format of the game. In the first innings, she scored a sensational 96 off 152 balls including 13 fours and 2 sixes. She just stuck to her plans and played her natural game. After being asked to follow-on, she scored yet another fifty in the second innings. Enroute, she became the first Indian to score two fifties on debut. She hit three sixes in the match, which is already a world record for a player who's just 1 test old. The future is surely bright for the young girl!
Image Courtesy - ESPN Cricinfo.
SNEH RANA
The 27-year old all rounder was surely the star of the match. With the ball, she bowled a long spell. She returned with the figures of 39.2-4-131-4. She couldn't do much with the bat in the first innings. After being asked to follow on, India were in deep trouble with 189/6 at one stage. They were soon reduced to 240/8. The match was slipping out of India's hold. That's when she got involved in a partnership for ages with Taniya Bhatia. The duo put on an unbeaten 104-runs partnership for the ninth wicket, which is the second highest for the ninth wicket in tests. The partnership saved an improbable game for the team and Rana was at the helm of the things. She scored 80* in the second innings and took 4 wickets in the match. She became the first Indian to score a fifty and take 4 wickets in her debut test.
Image courtesy - ESPN Cricinfo
DEEPTI SHARMA
The 23-year old all rounder played a key role in the match. With the ball, she bowled well for 27-5-65-3. Walking in at 183/5, she was left stranded at one end with 29* as her partners couldn't stay long at the crease in the first innings. In the second innings, she was bumped up the order. She utilized the opportunity really well and got a maiden fifty for herself. She was involved in a crucial 70-runs partnership with Shafali that set up the platform for India in the second innings.
Image courtesy - ESPN Cricinfo
TANIYA BHATIA
The 23-year old wicketkeeper batswoman had a very good debut. She took a catch in the first innings. She wasn't able to make any impact with the bat in the first innings. But in the second inning, she arrived at a horrible situation when her team was tottering down with 240/8. From there, she was involved in a 104-run partnership with Sneh Rana. The duo safely guided the team home. Taniya scored an unbeaten 44 and helped India achieve an incredible draw.
Image courtesy - ESPN Cricinfo
The youngsters not just outshined their seniors, but also attracted a lot of fans to watch them play. If only they would get more chances to play in the longest format of the game, we would be able to see more such incredible efforts in the upcoming days.
