India all-rounder Deepti Sharma emphasized the importance of the first hour on day two of the one-off women's Test against England, stating that early wickets will put the hosts under pressure. After being invited to bat, India posted a first-innings total of 285, thanks to half-centuries from Smriti Mandhana (83), Harmanpreet Kaur (58), and Deepti herself (57). In reply, England reached 21 for 1 at stumps on day one, with opener Tammy Beaumont dismissed.
Deepti on the crucial first hour
“Initial one hour is really important,” Deepti said after the opening day's play on Friday. “I think the total is decent. If there were 20-25 more runs, there would have been an extra margin. But the earlier we take wickets tomorrow, the better it will be for us,” she added.
Pitch conditions and bowling strategy
England left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone claimed three wickets, exploiting variable bounce and turn. Deepti expects the pitch to continue assisting bowlers. “The wicket is turning slightly and sometimes keeping low. The wicket is not the same. We have to be prepared when the ball can bounce and when it can stay low. Tomorrow will be a very important day for us,” she explained.
“We will focus more on our bowling strength. Like today's wicket, we were getting a slight turn. But sometimes, the ball was staying low and sometime there was bounce. It will help us tomorrow. But we have to focus on our right areas. We have to continue to bowl back-to-back,” Deepti added.
Partnership and top-order credit
Deepti, who shared a crucial partnership in the lower-middle order, credited the top-order batters for laying the platform. “It feels good that I was able to do this partnership at a crucial time. All credit goes to our 3-4 batters who gave a good start. Jemi (Jemimah), Hari di (Harmanpreet) and Smriti. They built the inning very well,” she said.
India will look to strike early on day two to gain control of the match, with the pitch expected to offer further assistance to the bowlers.
