Mandhana propels India women to command over England

Pacer Kranti Gaud's maiden five-wicket haul in red-ball cricket and Smriti Mandhana’s solid second successive unbeaten fifty led India to a commanding 154 for one in their second innings against England on Day 2 of the one-off women’s Test here on Saturday.

Mandhana (69 batting, 124 balls) was once again the fulcrum of India’s batting, as the visitors swelled their lead to 269 runs at stumps, amplifying Gaud’s five for 37 effort earlier in the day.

Mandhana was rock solid from the beginning as she took it upon herself the task of building on the 115-run cushion which India gained after bundling out England for 170 in their first innings.

The left-hander was involved in two crucial stands -- 88 runs with fellow opener Shafali Verma (33) and an ongoing 66 runs with Yastika Bhatia (39 batting) for the second wicket.

Shafali was the aggressor in the first-wicket partnership, and Mandhana’s lone act of force was her six off spinner Sophie Ecclestone, a nice little shimmy sending the ball over the bowler’s head.

But those elegant drives through the cover region formed the meat of her innings.

Shafali played some forceful shots, but her attempt to loft Ecclestone could not go beyond substitute Emma Lamb.

But that remained the only moment of joy for England in the fading moments of the second and the entirety of the final sessions.

Before Mandhana got into her act, Gaud twisted the knife into England with a fifer.

Skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt (44) and Amy Jones (52) resolutely defended Indian bowlers with an 84-run stand for the fifth wicket, but Gaud was too rampant for England.

India’s domination on the day has a direct link to Gaud’s burst across two sessions, which yielded four wickets, as she had dismissed Tammy Beaumont on Friday evening.

The pacer struck in the second over of the day, removing Maia Bouchier (23), whose half-hearted poke at an away-going delivery ended in the hands of stumper Yastika.

But Alice Capsey’s dismissal was the signature moment of the day.

Gaud managed to move the ball just enough to beat Capsey’s defence to rattle the England batter’s off-stump.

Fellow pacer Sayali Satghare trapped experienced Heather Knight leg before with a slightly slanting-in delivery to reduce England to 47 for four.

The home side needed a good partnership at that stage to break out of the jail. Brunt and Jones gave them just that.

Jones, who brought her second fifty in women Tests in 59 balls, was fluent while driving and pulling Gaud and Satghare.

Brunt, on the other hand, was more keen to be the support cast but revealed her aggressive side on a couple of occasions.

The right-hander pulled Gaud for a boundary and later slog-swept spinner Sneh Rana for a six as England whittled down India’s lead fast.

But the burgeoning stand ended when Jones rather casually tried to turn Rana off her hips, but the ball ballooned to Richa Ghosh at short leg after making contact with the bat’s shoulder.

Gaud then returned to add the wicket of Lauren Bell to complete a richly-deserved five-wicket haul.

Off-spinner Sneh and pacer Satghare also picked up a couple of wickets each to support Gaud as England crumbled badly in the second session, losing five wickets for 33 runs.