India vs England Women's Test: Day 3 Stumps Report

A small fightback - India resumed in complete control with Smriti Mandhana and Yastika Bhatia at the crease, but England responded with a much-improved bowling effort. Lauren Bell struck the early blow by ending Mandhana's fluent innings at 70, before India lost a couple more wickets to hand the hosts a way back into the contest. Harmanpreet Kaur and Yastika steadied the innings with a valuable stand, ensuring India continued to stretch their overall lead despite England's regular breakthroughs. The visitors went into Lunch firmly in control, but England would have taken heart from clawing back a few wickets during the session.

India hold all the cards - A long but thoroughly absorbing final session comes to a close! India Women remain firmly in the driver's seat in pursuit of a historic victory in the first-ever Women's Test at Lord's, but England Women have shown tremendous fight and resilience to keep themselves alive in the contest. The hosts still trail by a daunting 327 runs and will need something truly extraordinary to avoid defeat, but by taking the game into the final day, they have given themselves a fighting chance. As Test cricket has shown time and again, anything is possible on the final day.

0

Overs39.6

Score130 - 6

Deepti Sharma to Amy Jones, Safely negotiated! In front of the sticks, full in length. Amy Jones gets on the front foot and blocks it down the pitch. And that will be STUMPS on Day 3 at Lord's! England are 130/6 needing 327 more runs. India require 4 more wickets to win.

1

Overs37.5

Score127 - 6

Shafali Verma to Amy Jones, FIFTY FOR AMY JONES! A very resilient knock from her and she has shown a great deal of patience as well. Gets a warm round of applause from players and coaches on the balcony and she deserves it. That's her 2nd Test fifty and both have come in this very Test match. Charles Dagnall informs on air that Jones is the only second woman batter to score two half-centuries in the same Test match, batting at number six or below, with the first being Australia's Jess Jonassen. On a length around off. Jones punches off the back foot to the left of extra cover for a single.

W

Overs36.6

Score126 - 6

Sneh Rana to Mady Villiers, OUT! CAUGHT! Rana breaks the 67-run resilient stand for the sixth wicket. But that's an astonishing catch by Richa Ghosh after taking umpteen blows at silly mid off. Full and outside off at 72 kph. Villiers leans forward and drives it hard off the middle of the bat, but Richa Ghosh at silly point gets in the way. She stays low with her hands down and the ball just sticks in her hands, around her left knee. England Women are 126/6, needing 331 runs.

0

Overs36.3

Score126 - 5

Sneh Rana to Mady Villiers, Bump ball! Sneh dishes out a fullish ball, outside off. Villiers hangs back and goes for the cut shot but the ball spins in with a bit of bounce and goes off the inside edge and seems to have bumped on the ground before Yastika Bhatia collects it in her gloves. Bhatia and Deepti appeal for caught behind, but not given and the decision is sent upstairs for an umpire's review. The replay presents a clear picture with the ball bumping on the ground.

3lb

Overs35.1

Score123 - 5

Deepti Sharma to Amy Jones, Drifted onto the pads, full in length. Jones sits down on a knee and looks to sweep, but it goes off the pads and rolls behind to deep fine leg. They take three leg byes.

0

Overs34.6

Score120 - 5

Sree Charani to Mady Villiers, A tad short, outside off. Mady Villiers rocks back and hits it on the bounce to Jemimah Rodrigues at silly mid off. The fielders around the bat have taken quite a few blows today.

1lb

Overs34.3

Score120 - 5

Sree Charani to Amy Jones, Drifts into the batter, full in length. Jones misses the flick shot and plays over it, getting hit on the front pad. The ball deflects wide of backward point and they get a leg bye. A polite appeal for LBW, but nothing doing. Clearly going down leg.

2

Overs32.6

Score115 - 5

Sree Charani to Amy Jones, Drops it full, outside off, turning away. Jones goes for the drive on the front foot, but gets it sliced off the outer half, to the left of backward point. Sneh Rana chases it to the deep and restricts the batters to two runs.

4

Overs32.5

Score113 - 5

Sree Charani to Amy Jones, FOUR! Into the gap! Fired on the pads, very full. Jones gets forward and flicks it along the ground, and this time, there is a lot of power behind the shot and that beats Kranti Gaud to her left at deep mid-wicket.

2

Overs32.4

Score109 - 5

Sree Charani to Amy Jones, Very full, on leg, Amy flicks it hard along the ground to the left of deep mid-wicket. Kranti runs and slides to her left to save a couple of runs. That brings up the 50-run partership between Jones and Villiers. These two have batted resolutely and have somewhat arrested the slide.