Women's Test: Shafali Verma misses ton; India falter after solid start

Shafali Verma en route her 152-ball 96 against England on Day Three. Pic/Getty Images

Shafali Verma fell four runs short of what would have been a memorable ton on Test debut during Day Two of the one-off Test against England here on Thursday.
However, India Women collapsed to 187-5 and could have been a touch disappointed when stumps were drawn at the County Ground. Verma's opening partner Smriti Mandhana departed for 78. She put on a rollicking 167-run stand with the young and exciting batswoman. England posted 396-9 declared.

India lost four wickets in four runs (Mandhana, Shikha Pandey, skipper Mithali Raj and Punam Raut) and now trail by 209 runs. Verma, 17, was at her usual aggressive self as she cut and pulled in her own inimitable style. She not only presented the straight bat for defence with grace, she also hit a six off Nat Sciver with remarkable ease.

It was only the second six hit by an Indian woman in Test cricket. Mandhana was cautious yet fluent. She got her first boundary when she punched one in covers.

Brief scores
England 396-9 decl (H Knight 95, S Dunkley 74', T Beaumont 66, N Sciver 42; S Rana 4-131, D Sharma 3-65) v India 187-5 (S Verma 96, S Mandhana 78; Knight 2-1)

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