London, Jul 11 (PTI) Pacer Kranti Gaud bagged her maiden five-wicket haul in red-ball cricket as India bundled out England for 170 in first innings on Day 2 to take control of the one-off women’s Test here on Saturday.
At tea, India were 30 for no loss with Smriti Mandhana (10) and Shafali Varma (14) in the middle. India, who took a 115-run innings lead, now have extended their advantage to 145 runs.
Skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt (44) and Amy Jones (52) resolutely defended Indian bowlers with an 84-run stand for the fifth wicket, but Gaud (5/37) was too rampant for England.
India’s domination can be linked to Gaud’s burst across two sessions, which yielded four wickets as she had dismissed Tammy Beaumont last evening.
The pacer struck in the second over of the day, removing Maia Bouchier (23), whose half-hearted poke at an away going delivery ended in the hands of stumper Yastika Bhatia.
But Alice Capsey’s dismissal was the signature moment of the day. Gaud managed to move the ball just enough to beat Capsey’s defence to rattle the England batter’s off-stump.
Fellow pacer Sayali Satghare trapped experienced Heather Knight leg before with a slightly slanting-in delivery to reduce England to 47 for four.
The home side needed a good partnership at that stage to break out of the jail. Brunt and Jones gave them just that.
Jones, who brought her second fifty in Women Tests in 59 balls, was fluent while driving and pulling Gaud and Satghare.
Brunt, on the other hand, was more keen to be the support cast but revealed her aggressive side on a couple of occasions.
The right-hander pulled Gaud for a boundary and later slog-swept spinner Sneh Rana for a six as England whittled down India’s lead fast.
But the burgeoning stand ended when Jones rather casually tried to turn Rana off her hips, but the ball ballooned to Richa Ghosh at short leg after making contact with the bat’s shoulder.
Gaud then returned to add the wicket of Lauren Bell to complete a richly-deserved five-wicket haul.
Off-spinner Sneh Rana and pacer Sayali Satghare also picked up a couple of wickets each to support Gaud as England crumbled badly in the second session, losing five wickets for 33 runs. PTI UNG KHS
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