England run into Deep(ti) trouble

It was not a wicket ball but everybody gathered around short leg. It was the fifth over of England's innings and Jemimah Rodrigues, under the lid, had intercepted a flick off Tammy Beaumont.

India were in high spirits having posted 428 in their first women's Test innings at home in nine years and then had seen the back of opener Sophia Dunkley early. The close-in fielders cheering the bowler after each delivery was clearly audible at the sparsely-filled DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. So much so, that watching from the stands, the celebration after that Rodrigues effort made you wonder if a wicket fell.

England play Tests often than India do. It is their 100th outing in the format as opposed to India's 39th. And so, despite India's spirited efforts on the field, the tourists chugged along to 108 for 3 after 25 overs. One of the wickets was the result of a rush of blood, when Beaumont tried to take on Pooja Vastrakar's arm and was run-out.

India walked out to the field with a clear strategy - to have a seamer and a spinner operate in tandem - which is why Renuka Singh, on debut, shared the new ball with offspinner Sneh Rana, who extracted enough bounce from the surface. Soon after, it was the pairing of Vastrakar and Rajeshwari Gayadwad that was called in.

With England scoring at close to four and a half runs an over - India had scored at over four per over through their innings - Deepti Sharma was brought on for the 26th. She had only managed to add seven runs to her overnight score of 60, when India folded inside 36 minutes in the first session.

Deepti was on the board with her second ball - getting Danni Wyatt caught at short leg via the inside edge. For the next hour or so, it would be a routine - batters walking in and out of the dressing room with a dismissal against spin to their names.

"When I was standing at slip, I was trying to see what the bowler could do and what we could add on to get wickets," Deepti said after stumps. "I ended up doing that when I came on to bowl.

"I was waiting for my chance to bowl and when I did, I enjoyed myself. The wicket was helping the spinners a fair bit today. So I think it was a positive sign for us to extract more from the surface and the turn we were getting."

Sciver-Brunt, crossing fifty for the fifth time in Tests, and Amy Jones used the sweep and other on-side shots which seemed like a solution briefly. But once Jones fell in strange circumstances - her pull deflected off Smriti Mandhana's helmet at short leg to Shafali Verma at leg slip - the writing was on the wall. Two balls later, Sophie Ecclestone was done in by the low bounce and was bowled.

The fatigue of being in the Navi Mumbai heat for over 100 overs was starting to creep in.

Rana then struck a telling blow, getting a length ball well outside off to turn back in sharply and beat Sciver-Brunt's attempted cut. The proverbial wall had fallen - 59 off 70 balls with ten fours and a control percentage of 75.

"We handled pressure well, especially when Beaumont and Sciver-Brunt began to stabilise," Deepti said. "We took it over by over and did well to maintain control. During the lunch break, we noticed patches on the wicket and my idea was to bowl into those patches which would give us some assistance."

Charlie Dean, Kate Cross and Lauren Filer didn't last long - with the last wicket giving Deepti her first five-wicket haul in Tests. It took only 5.3 overs, the least for a five-for in women's Tests. In ten overs since Deepti was brought on, England capitulated to 28 for 7 and conceded a massive 292-run advantage to India.

On a surface starting to show its true colours - and with India not enforcing the follow-on - the spinners left England with a monumental task in the fourth innings.