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Deepti Sharma played the enforcer's role to perfection for the second time in as many days as the dominant India Women scripted a historic 347-run victory over England on the third day of the one-off Test here on Saturday. India set in motion the hunt for triumph while declaring their second innings closed at the overnight score of 186 for 6, leaving England to climb a huge mountain of 479 runs in their second innings. The Indian bowlers led by off-spinner Deepti Sharma (4/32) and pacer Pooja Vastrakar (3/23) then bundled out England for 131 to celebrate a victory which now stands as the biggest in terms of runs in the history of women's Test cricket, bettering Sri Lanka's 309-run victory over Pakistan in April 1998. It was also India's first win over England at home in 15 Tests, having beaten them in away games twice in 2014, giving them a big boost ahead of the one-off Test against Australia starting here next week. Over the course of the last three days the Indians did not show
Debutants Shubha Satheesh (69) and Jemimah Rodrigues (68) made fine half-centuries as India's ultra-aggressive approach with the bat took them to a massive 410 for 7 at stumps on Day 1 of their one-off women's Test against England here on Thursday. Playing their first Test in nearly two years, and their maiden red-ball game on home soil in nine years, India rarely took the foot off the pedal on a batting-friendly surface at the DY Patil Stadium, garnering nearly five runs per over. The 24-year-old Shubha stood tall with a 76-ball 69 studded with 13 boundaries, displaying immaculate footwork and impeccable reading of the line and length to score her runs at a strike rate of nearly 91. Shubha became the 12th India batter to score a fifty on debut, but she could not convert it into a century, which would have made her the first from the country to make a ton in her maiden appearance. She departed when Sophie Ecclestone (1/85) had her caught by Nat Sciver-Brunt. Jemimah too produced a
England skipper Heather Knight will miss the home series against India next month as she has undergone a hip surgery and is likely to remain out of action till the end of the year. Knight, who is missing out on the ongoing season of The Hundred, is also likely to be ruled out of the Women's Big Bash to be played in October. "Surgery (tick) I've had a little clean out of my hip to get me back and running soon," Knight wrote on her Twitter on Friday alongside a picture of her in the hospital. "Unfortunately it rules me out of the India series and the WBBL, but I'm aiming to be back by the end of the year. Time to make the most of a bit of time away and bring on the rehab!" she added. The 31-year-old had injured herself during the first T20I against South Africa in July. She had to take injections on her hip joint for the pain during the series. Although Knight was part of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games squad, she didn't play a single game. Nat Scriver led the English side, which