One-off Test: Ecclestone picks three-for as England bowl out India for 285
London, July 10
A dramatic batting collapse in the final session saw India being bowled out for 285 in 74.5 overs on the opening day of their historic one-off Test match against England at Lord's in London on Friday. Cruising at 190/3 at one stage, the visitors suffered a spectacular slide and lost their last seven wickets for just 95 runs to end 15 runs short of 300.
England's relentless spinners, Sophie Ecclestone and debutant Mady Villiers, orchestrated the spectacular turnaround by sharing five crucial wickets between themselves. With her 3-68, Sophie also became England's all-time leading wicket-taker across all formats, a record previously held by Katherine Sciver-Brunt.
Resuming the post-tea session from 202/5, India desperately needed stability. However, the visitors suffered an early setback when aggressive wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh (13) was cramped by pacer Lauren Filer and top-edged a short delivery straight to fine leg.
All-rounder Deepti Sharma, who played a gritty knock of 57 off 87 balls, studded with seven boundaries, tried to courageously hold the innings together. She employed the sweep shot to fantastic effect against the spinners and brought up a well-deserved half-century off 70 balls. Unfortunately, she completely lacked support from the lower order.
Mady continued her highly impressive debut by trapping Sneh Rana (13) plumb lbw and breaking a brief period of resistance. Sophie then took complete charge by cleaning up the tail with ruthless efficiency. She trapped Sayali Satghare (1) LBW before ending Deepti's valiant knock, as she was caught by mid-wicket.
Sophie ultimately wrapped up the innings by castling Kranti Gaud (1) and getting a glowing reception from 10,768 fans at Lord's, as she walked off the field as England's all-time leading wicket-taker across all formats.
While three Indian batters registered half-centuries - Smriti Mandhana top-scored with 83 - their disappointing lower-order capitulation leaves the hosts extremely poised to conclude an intensely thrilling opening day on a high with the bat.
Brief scores:
India 285 all out in 74.5 overs (Smriti Mandhana 83, Harmanpreet Kaur 58; Sophie Ecclestone 3-68, Issy Wong 2-41) against England
— IANS
Reader Comments
Honestly, 285 is not a bad score at Lord's, but the way we collapsed is disappointing. Losing 7 wickets for 95 runs after being in such a strong position shows our mentality needs improvement. Ecclestone is a world-class bowler, no doubt. But our girls should have shown more patience. Still, all is not lost - if we pick early wickets tomorrow, we can still be in the game. 🇮🇳🏏
Mad respect for Sophie Ecclestone! 👏 Becoming England's all-time leading wicket-taker across all formats is a massive achievement. She bowled with great control and got crucial breakthroughs. But hats off to Smriti Mandhana - that 83 was a class act. Our women's team needs to learn how to convert starts into big scores. Test cricket is all about patience!
This is a clear example of how important lower-order contributions are in Test cricket. 190/3 should have been 350+ easily. Harman and Mandhana played well, but Richa Ghosh's shot selection was poor - she threw her wicket away. Deepti Sharma showed great fight with that 57, but the tail folded like a pack of cards. Our bowlers need to step up now and keep England under 285. Come on, India! 🙏
Feeling for India fans here - that collapse was brutal to watch. But credit to England's spinners for sticking to their plans. Ecclestone is just unreal. Mady Villiers also impressed on debut. 285 is still decent, but this Test is definitely England's to lose now. Hopefully we get a good contest tomorrow! 🏏
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