England toil on day two of Women’s Test at Lord’s as dominant India extend lead to 269 | Cricket News

England are facing an almighty battle to avoid defeat in the first Women’s Test at Lord’s after India dominated day two of the four-day fixture.

The home side’s hopes of getting near, or beyond, India’s first-innings 285 were shredded by collapses of 3-15 and 6-39 – and a superb five-wicket haul from Kranti Gaud (5-37) that was clinched via a stunning Shafali Verma catch – as they were rolled for 170.

India then extended their lead, which stood at 115 on first innings, to 269 by stumps after reaching 154-1, with Smriti Mandhana (69no) notching her second half-century of the game and the tourists in prime position to secure back-to-back Test wins over England after a 347-run demolition in Navi Mumbai back in December 2023.

England already need the highest run chase to win a Women’s Test – that remains the 198 Australia picked off against them during a 2011 Ashes clash in Sydney – and the target could become monstrous with India having so much batting to come.

A crowd of 15,243 – a record for a day of a Women’s Test – saw India fire with bat and ball and England toil across both disciplines, although Lauren Bell (0-16) bowled well across a wicketless 11 overs, which included five maidens, having been loose on day one.

England have looked a little naïve in key moments – the way they have looked to bat and bowl. India have shown greater knowledge of the little details.

Gaud’s relentless line and length has largely showed up the home seamers, while openers Mandhana and Verma (33) put on 88 for the tourists’ first wicket before Mandhana and Yastika Bhatia (39no) added an unbroken 66 for the second after Amy Jones fluffed the chance to stump Bhatia late in the day.

England’s men’s team have pumped India 4-0 in a T20 international series but it appears unlikely the women’s side will be celebrating at Lord’s, not unless there is a dramatic turnaround.

England slump around Sciver-Brunt, Jones stand

The hosts slipped from their overnight 21-1 to 47-4 when Gaud had Maia Bouchier (23) caught behind off a nothing shot and took out the off stump of Alice Capsey (9) around fellow seamer Sayali Satghare (2-40) pinning Heather Knight (6) lbw.

Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt (44) and Jones (52) curbed that wobble with a fifth-wicket stand of 84, during which Jones notched a second Test fifty from 59 balls, only for Jones’ dismissal, caught at short leg, to trigger a second damaging breakdown.

Gaud earned the key wicket of Sciver-Brunt lbw and went on to clinch the first five-for in a Women’s Test at Lord’s thanks to Verma’s moment of brilliance – team-mate Sneh Rana could only parry a thick edge from Bell (3) into the cordon and an alert Verma reacted to clutch the ball just above the turf.

Off-spinner Rana could claim an assist there but she was fully responsible for the wickets of Jones and Mady Villiers (10) – the latter bowled through the gate by a ripper having dismissed India captain Harmanpreet Kaur in similar fashion on day one.

Once England No 11 Lauren Filer (0) was trapped lbw by another off-spinner in Deepti Sharma, Sciver-Brunt’s side shipped only four runs across the first three overs of India’s second innings, before Mandhana’s brace of pulled fours off Filer changed the tempo.

Sophie Ecclestone – who had contributed 11 with the bat before being caught behind on the drive – was flogged for 13 in the sixth over, the final one before tea, as Verma lofted and caressed fours and one delivery was speared past leg stump for byes.

England surprisingly overlooked spin for the first half of the evening session but the reintroduction of Ecclestone brought about the dismissal of Verma, pouched at mid-on after a mistimed drive.

That, though, would prove the final wicket to fall on a day on which England were overwhelmingly second-best and ended with the classy Mandhana 31 runs away from joining colleague Gaud on the Lord’s honours board.

Watch day three of the standalone Women’s Test between England and India at Lord’s live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Mix from 10.30am on Sunday (11am first ball). Stream cricket and more contract-free with NOW.