Dot Ball! Sophie Ecclestone keeps asking questions. She tosses this one up invitingly, and Deepti Sharma is happy to get right behind it, leaning forward with a solid defensive push. No risks taken as India look to rebuild after the wicket.
Dot Ball! Sophie Ecclestone keeps asking questions. She tosses this one up invitingly, and Deepti Sharma is happy to get right behind it, leaning forward with a solid defensive push. No risks taken as India look to rebuild after the wicket.
Deepti Sharma gets off the mark with a calm start. Sophie Ecclestone fires it in flatter outside off, and Deepti opens the face of the bat to guide it towards short third. Just a single, but India continue to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Drinks Break! England struck twice in the opening session through Lauren Bell, who first had Smriti Mandhana caught down the leg side before producing a peach of an inswinger to dismiss Jemimah Rodrigues. But beyond those breakthroughs, the hosts have struggled to maintain consistent lines and lengths, allowing India to stay firmly on top.
Yastika Bhatia has been the standout performer, registering her second Test half-century, while Harmanpreet Kaur has settled in well at the other end. India have added 58 runs in 13 overs in the first hour, stretching their overall lead to a commanding 327 runs. England need quick wickets after the break to claw their way back into the contest.
Yastika Bhatia nudges one away to deep square leg for a single, bringing up a 50-run partnership with Harmanpreet Kaur. The duo have settled in nicely after the early wicket, rotating the strike well and punishing the loose deliveries to keep India firmly in control.
Harmanpreet Kaur cashes in on a rare error from Sophie Ecclestone. The left-arm spinner drifts onto the pads, and the India captain simply helps it on its way with a fine glance. Timed to perfection, and it races away to the boundary. Easy runs for Harmanpreet.
Action is underway at Lord's with IND-W looking to build on their huge lead and put the hosts under severe pressure.
Heather Knight, the former captain of the England cricket team, has declared her retirement from international cricket. At the age of 35, Knight follows batter Tammy Beaumont in retiring from the England team, coinciding with the conclusion of the current Test match against India at Lord's. She finishes her career with 320 international appearances. She captained England in 199 of those matches, including in the famous World Cup win at Lord's in 2017.
India Women (Playing XI): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia(w), Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sayali Satghare, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud
England Women (Playing XI): Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt(c), Alice Capsey, Amy Jones(w), Mady Villiers, Sophie Ecclestone, Issy Wong, Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer
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