India hammer sorry England in one-off Test as second innings total of 131 produces record defeat

England posted a second cataclysmic batting collapse in as many days against India, slumping to 131 all out before lunch in their second innings to concede the heaviest defeat in the history of women’s test cricket - 347 runs.

As expected, India declared overnight from their second innings on 186-6, requiring England to chase down 478 runs - the biggest fourth-innings target ever - or bat out two days on the DY Patil Stadium wicket.

They did neither. Things started to fall apart within seven overs as openers Sophia Dunkley and Tammy Beaumont combined for just 27 - still England’s second-highest partnership of the innings.

Renuka Singh Thakur cleaved Beamont's off stump with a superb ball, but the batter didn’t help herself either looking stuck in the crease - a common theme in the day two collapse to 136 all out. England could but dream of that total this time around.

Heather Knight and Danni Wyatt provided the strongest resistance, putting on 31 for the fourth wicket as the latter top-scored for England with 21. However, with the pair coming together on 37-3 it was already clear England needed a miracle and it was just four overs until Knight departed - by that stage the only thing left to decide was whether England could hold off India until after lunch.

Pooja Vastrakar was on a hat-trick after clearing both Dunkley and Nat Sciver-Brunt in successive balls, with England still looking to bat positively despite the match situation.

It was Vastrakar again on-hand to dismiss Knight, with seam rather than spin again proving England’s undoing - though Deepti Sharma quickly redressed that balance as Wyatt departed in a muddle after pulling out of a sweep only to edge it behind before Amy Jones followed her back to the hutch.

England attempted to sweep their way out of trouble but only succeeded in sinking deeper into a chastening record defeat, Sophie Ecclestone was next to depart as she missed a hat-trick of sweeps with the final one clattering her stumps off Rajeshwari Gayakwad.

The only achievement for England was forcing a 10-minute delay to lunch, but the futile final-wicket stand of Charlie Dean and Lauren Bell was broken with England still five runs short of their sorry first-innings total.

England won the T20 series 2-1 but will need to go back to the drawing board with the red ball, while for India it’s the perfect preparation for the visit of Australia. That one-off Test runs from December 21-24.

Her coach called her the ‘Ben Stokes of the team’, what more needs to be said? Well how about bowling figures of 4-32 off eight overs to go along with her 5-7 (seemingly a misprint on first glance) and 87 match runs with the bat.

England’s response to the first innings was an attempt to sweep everything in sight and Sharma took full advantage, ripping Wyatt and Jones out in the space of two overs to end any chance the visitors had making it competitive.

She missed out on the final wicket, but did remove Kate Cross and Lauren Filer to put England’s backs even further against the wall - number eight Cross had played possibly the best innings of the day.

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