England v India, one-off Test, Lord’s

India 285 (Mandhana 83; Ecclestone 3-68) & 154-1 (Mandhana 69*; Ecclestone 1-46)

England 170 (Jones 52; Gaud 5-37)

India lead by 269

Scorecard

England face an uphill battle to avoid defeat in the one-off Test at Lord’s as India took control on day two.

Resuming on 21-1 in reply to India’s first-innings 285, England were skittled for 170 to give the tourists a lead of 115.

On another hot day and in improved batting conditions, India finished 154-1 – an ominous lead of 269 – as England’s bowlers toiled and lacked wicket-taking threat on a flat surface.

Smriti Mandhana reached another classy half-century and remains unbeaten on 69 after adding 88 for the first wicket with Shafali Verma, who fell to Sophie Ecclestone for 33.

Earlier, Kranti Gaud made history as the first woman to earn her place on the Lord’s Test honours board with a fine spell of 5-37 as England struggled against her disciplined accuracy.

Having removed Tammy Beaumont the previous evening, Gaud continued to work through the top order. Maia Bouchier was caught behind for 23 and Alice Capsey was bowled with a nip-backer for nine before she claimed the key wicket of captain Nat Sciver-Brunt lbw for 44.

Sciver-Brunt and Amy Jones provided England’s only real resistance with a fifth-wicket stand of 84, but Jones’ departure for 52 sparked a dismal collapse of the last six wickets for just 39 runs.

With two more days of good weather expected, India have the chance to keep a tired England toiling and bat them out of the game on day three.

While there was some turn for England’s spinners on the first day, the pitch appeared easier for batting after a day basked in the London heat which makes Sciver-Brunt’s decision to bowl first more questionable.

Yet England could not capitalise as the exceptionally talented Gaud, at just 22 years old, and the rest of India’s attack executed a simple gameplan of endlessly bowling a good line and length and the hosts were exposed.

Whether it was a combination of general fatigue post-T20 World Cup or that they are simply not used to batting for such long periods of time remains unclear, but arguably only Capsey could say she got a genuinely good ball that nipped between bat and pad.

Bouchier wafted unnecessarily outside the off stump, Heather Knight played around a straight one from Sayali Satghare for six and Jones suffered a lapse in concentration to prod spinner Sneh Rana to short leg.

When Sciver-Brunt was struck on the front pad, England’s long tail had far too much to do, and there were heart-warming scenes when Lauren Bell was brilliantly dismissed by Shafali’s rebound catch at slip for Gaud’s fifth wicket.

A beaming Gaud raised the ball to an applauding Lord’s pavilion as she led India off the field having put her side in a commanding position for victory.