Kranti Gaut took five wickets before Smriti Mandana returned to scoring runs against England as India continued to dominate the first women’s Test at Lord’s on Saturday.
Seam bowler Goudt took 5-37 from 17 overs to become the first woman to enter the Lord’s dressing room honors board for a Test performance as England were bowled out for 170 against India’s 285 in the first innings.
At the end of the second day of the fourth day, India were 154-1 in their second innings — an overall lead of 269 runs.
Mandhana, a fine left-armer, scored an unbeaten 69 after sharing an opening stand of 88 with Shabali Verma (33) after scoring 83 in his first innings.
With the highest successful fourth innings chase in a women’s Test recorded by Australia against England at Sydney’s Bankstown Oval in 2011, the hosts are set to rewrite the record books.
After 142 years of men’s Test cricket being played at Lord’s, the match marks another milestone in the evolution of the women’s game.
The 22-year-old Gowt will join the likes of Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, Bishan Bedi and Kapil Dev in the list of bowlers who have taken 5 or more wickets in a Test innings at Lord’s.
After 21-1, England lost 2 wickets in 4 balls and fell to 32-3.
Their only notable opposition came from captain Nat Skiver-Friend (44) and Amy Jones (52) for 84 for the fifth wicket on another sunny day at Lord’s.
India’s seamers settled on a precise line and length much quicker than their English counterparts.
Maya Bouchier, 17 not out overnight, pushed Stem loose outside Goud to trail by 23 runs.
It was 32-2 32-3 when former England captain Heather Knight was lbw to Sayali Sadkare.
The slump continued when Gowt bowled a fine delivery and then bowled Alice Capsey for nine, with England now at a paltry 47-4.
Skiver-Brunt, who scored 58 not out in England’s T20 World Cup final loss to Australia at Lord’s last week, found an ally in Jones, who scored a fine half-century on the back of a low white-ball score.
But the wicketkeeper fell before lunch when he took a simple bat-bat catch at short leg off the bowling of off-spinner Snay Rana.
Skiver-Friend had added just five runs to his interval score of 39 when Gautt became his plumb lbw.
Gaut completed his five-wicket haul in dramatic fashion when Lauren Bell’s edged drive flew to the slip garden, where it was stopped in front of his throat by Rana before a diving Verma grabbed the rebound.
Mandana, who on Friday became the youngest woman to play 300 international games across all formats at the age of 29 years and 357 days, was again in top touch.
He punished Bell for short pitching with dull grass shots and the run continued as Verma, who was out in vain in the first innings, hit the seamer down the ground.
Mandana, dominant against the quicks, lifted left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone — England’s leading wicket-taker in all international formats on Friday — for a stunning straight six.
Verma eventually got out off Ecclestone, but by then India were already leading by over 200 runs.