India romp home to record Test win against England

Deepti Sharma starred with both bat and ball as India thrashed England by 347 runs in their one-off women’s Test on Saturday for their first ever win at home against the rivals.
Sharma, who made 67 in India’s first-innings total of 428, took nine wickets including a red-hot 5-7 in the first innings, with the visitors bowled out for 131 to wrap up the match on the third morning in Mumbai.
Medium-pacer Pooja Vastrakar grabbed 3-23 as England were dismissed cheaply inside 28 overs during an extended first session of play while chasing a mammoth target of 479 runs.
England, bowled out for 136 in their first innings, offered very
little fight even in their second outing, losing half their side inside 15 overs at the D.Y. Patil stadium.
India’s victory margin was the largest by runs in women’s Test cricket and also their first Test win against England at home.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s team took a 292-run first-innings lead after electing to bat first, and declared on their overnight second-innings total of 186-6 for an overall lead of 478.
Nat Sciver-Brunt top-scored with 59 in England’s first innings but was bowled for a duck by Vastrakar in her second stint.
“It’s a proud feeling...we bowled according to plan,” said Sharma, who was named player of the match.
“I was just waiting to bowl and keeping myself warmed up. I got a lot of help from the wicket and I backed myself.”
England’s Heather Knight said India were “outstanding” in the game.
“The way they batted in the first innings is something we can learn a lot from,” she said.
“The conditions (are) something we’re not used to, we were trying to find a way to score runs. I think we had some brilliant performances, Charlie Dean bowled brilliantly and Lauren Bell – the way she moved the ball and her consistency, a real highlight for us. It’s been an awesome experience to play a Test match in India and I think if we come back in nine years – I’m unlikely to be here – we’ll have learnt a lot.”
Indian captain Harmanpreet received the trophy and then gave the trophy to the three debutants and they all celebrate.
“I am feeling great, everything went according to plan. Each player took responsibility. (Why bat on?) The first 40 minutes were very crucial and we felt if we could get three or four wicket in the first 40 minutes so that was the most important,” Harmanpreet said.

Brief scores
India first innings: 428 all out in 104.3 overs (S. Shubha 69, J. Rodrigues 68; L. Bell 3-67, S. Ecclestone 3-91)
England first innings: 136 all out in 35.3 overs (N. Sciver-Brunt 59; D. Sharma 5-7, S. Rana 2-25)
India second innings: 186/6 dec in 42 overs (H. Kaur 44; C. Dean 4-68, S. Ecclestone 2-76)
England second innings: 131 all out in 27.3 overs (H. Knight 21; D. Sharma 4-32, P. Vastrakar 3-23)
Result: India won by 347 runs
Series Result: India won 1-0.