India beat England by 347 runs in the one-off Test match of 2023-24. Annesha Ghosh’s report first appeared in the 2024 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.
At Mumbai (DY Patil), December 14-16, 2023. India won by 347 runs. Toss: India.
Test debuts: Renuka Singh, JI Rodrigues, S Shubha.
It was a game of firsts. India’s maiden home Test victory against England was the heaviest by runs in Test history. The DY Patil Stadium, staging its first international red-ball match, was in uncharted territory as well. Knight, the visiting captain, said playing a Test in India was a “bucket-list thing”, and even Harmanpreet Kaur, her opposite number, admitted to “butterflies in the stomach” on the eve of the game.
England may have been the more experienced side, but the conditions levelled the scales: the pitch was brown and dry, promising generous turn, and rewards only for batters who knuckled down. India chose to bat, selecting three spinners, including Rana, who opened in both innings. Bell and Cross removed the Indian openers with the new ball, but Dean and Ecclestone, England’s only slow bowlers, found the first day hard going, claiming a wicket apiece as four of the middle-order made sixties. One of them, Satheesh Shubha, on international debut, brought up her half-century from 49 balls, and was dropped by Knight at slip three overs later. Bell at mid-on somehow put down Bhatia on 15, and India reached the close on 410-7, already their highest home total. They added another 18 next morning.
Renuka Singh bowled Dunkley again, and Vastrakar trapped Knight. Then, after the vigilant Beaumont and the fluent Sciver-Brunt had added 51, Vastrakar ran out Beaumont with a direct hit from midwicket. England were on a knife-edge. At 108 for three, Sharma was brought into the attack, and it proved a decisive moment. Ten overs later, the visitors were all out; Sharma had 5-7, amid a collapse of 7-28. Sciver-Brunt, the top-scorer, was castled by a perfect off-break from Rana.
Even with a lead of 292, Harmanpreet saw no reason to enforce the follow-on. She led India to the close at nearly four and a half an over; Ecclestone took a battering, though Dean picked up four wickets in the hunt for runs. The declaration came overnight: England had two days to score 479. They lasted only a session. Vastrakar ripped out three, including Sciver-Brunt first ball, and Sharma came on immediately after the drinks break, dismissing Wyatt, Jones, Cross and Filer for the second time in the match. Gayakwad denied her a ten-wicket haul, but her match figures of 9-39 were India’s best at home; only Jhulan Goswami, with 10-78 against England at Taunton in 2006, had done better anywhere.
Player of the Match: DB Sharma.
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