Debutant Sneh Rana remained unbeaten on 80 as India women finished with 344/8 in the second innings after the England women enforced a follow-on.
There were five debutants for Team India against England women in their first Test in over 2400 days and four of them led their side's fightback to save the game and salvaged a draw after they were in a precarious position when the hosts enforced the follow-on in the second innings.
Opener Shafali Verma, all-rounders Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana and wicket-keeper batter Taniya Bhatia starred in Indian women's determined reply with the bat as from being 165 runs behind to leading by 179 runs with two wickets still in the bag, it was truly a remarkable show by the team and especially the ones playing their first-ever Test match.
India started the day on their overnight score of 83/1 after being forced to follow on. Shafali Verma, after an exemplary 96 on the first innings followed it up with another half-century becoming the youngest woman player to smash two half-centuries in her debut Test match. She and Deepti Sharma stitched a 70-run partnership for the second wicket, before falling prey to left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone and the 35-year old pacer Katherine Brunt taking an outstanding catch.
Punam Raut came in at No 4 and she proved to be an able ally for Deepti as the latter brought up her maiden fifty in her debut as well. Both players coasted along as they reduced the deficit and brought their side into lead. Unfortunately, for them, Deepti fell in the lat over before lunch and like first innings, one big wicket and it brought a collapse.
Skipper Mithali Raj, vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Punam Raut, Pooja Vastrakar all fell in quick succession as from 171/2, India were now 199/7 and it looked like this could wrap up quickly. However, it was Sneh Rana, who starred with the ball in the first innings, who took it upon herself to taker her side to the safer shores and she found able partners in veteran pacer Shikha Pandey and wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia.
Both Rana and Shikha ground out and kept the English bowlers at bay. Nothing was working for them before all-rounder Nat Sciver got the latter to knick it to the keeper Amy Jones. But this was the last that they celebrated as another debutant Bhatia arrived at the crease and she decided to have some fun.
Rana, meanwhile, brought up her maiden fifty and was now looking to take the initiative. However, Rana had now ensured that they couldn't lose the game and in the end, both the teams decided to shake hands, 12 overs before the scheduled end of the day's play. Rana remained unbeaten on 80, while Taniya Bhatia was on 44* as they forged an unbeaten partnership of 104 runs.
Shafali Verma was named the player of the match for scoring 159 runs in the game as the only Test between the two sides ended in a draw.
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 "Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma")
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