Debutant Shafali Verma stitched a 167-run opening partnership with Smriti Mandhana after England women declared on 396/9 in the first innings.
After not getting selected in the ODI squad earlier in March this year, the No 1 T20 ranked batter in the world Shafali Verma got a maiden call-up in the Test and ODI squad and was handed her debut cap on the first day of the one-off Test against England women on June 16.
England women won the toss and chose to bat first and owing to knocks by opener Tammy Beaumont, skipper Heather Knight and debutant Sophia Dunkley, the hosts put up a strong score of 396/9 and declared their innings. If India had any chance of challenging that score, the openers had to forge a huge stand and that's what followed.
Debutant Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana hit their straps pretty early and deflated England's bowlers pretty early. England did drop three catches as both Shafali and Smriti didn't curb their natural instinct of playing their shots and didn't leave any loose ball as the former brought up her maiden half-century and Smriti scored her second fifty in her third Test.
The duo brought up a 100-run stand and India were starting to take the initiative. After getting to her half-century, Shafali took the onus on her to reduce the deficit as she now was in the T20 mode and was racing towards her maiden hundred.
However, she fell agonisingly close to her first century after she mistimed a pull shot and was able to get only as far as mid-off where pacer Anya Shrubsole ran in and took a diving catch and Shafali's outstanding first innings in the Test matches including 13 fours and a couple of sixes.
However, after the 167-run stand was broken by the right-arm medium pacer Kate Cross, the innings went downhill since and they lost four more wickets within 16 runs as from 167/0 to India were reduced to 183/5.
But, the fans, experts couldn't stop themselves from praising the 17-year old. While many compared her with the likes of AB de Villiers and Rishabh Pant for doing freakish things as all three of them wear the same jersey number - 17. Some fans hoped that this innings could help increase the popularity of the women's game.
Here are some of the reactions:
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