India Women vs England Women 2023

Test match (1): India 1, Australia 0
One-day internationals (3): India 0, Australia 3
Twenty20 internationals (3): India 1, Australia 2

Before the 2023-24 season, India had played only two Tests in nine years - now they had two in a month. Having secured their first home win against England, in Navi Mumbai, five days earlier, they crossed the Thane Creek to the Wankhede, and pulled off their first victory against Australia. Their fortunes declined after that. Australia, world champions in both limited-overs formats, blanked them 3-0 in the one-dayers, and clinched the T20 series on the final day of the tour. Phoebe Litchfield, described by captain Alyssa Healy as an "unbelievable talent", lit up the ODIs with scores of 78, 63 and 119, and took some world-class catches in the field.

India's struggles were not helped by a fluctuating batting order, a form slump for Harmanpreet Kaur (her highest score in five while-ball knocks was nine), and shoddy fielding. Ten catches were dropped in the ODIs, including three during a narrow defeat which handed Australia the series.

The T20s were well attended: 21,600 came to the first, and twice as many to the second and third. India took the lead thanks to four wickets from 19-year-old seamer Titas Sadhu, and an opening stand of 137 between Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. But Australia drew level with a calm chase, led by Ellyse Perry, who became the first Australian woman to make 300 international appearances; they then swept to victory in the decider, courtesy of a rapid half-century by Healy, the Player of the Series. Australia's limited-overs performances served as a reminder they were still the dominant force in the women's game

Only Test. At Mumbai (D. Y. Patil), December 14-16, 2023. India won by 347 runs. Toss: India.
Test debuts: Renuka Singh, J. I. Rodrigues, S. Shubha.

It was a game of firsts. India's maiden home Test victory against England was the heaviest by runs in Test history. The D. Y. Patil Stadium, staging its first international red-ball match, was in uncharted territory as well. Knight, the visiting captain, said playing a Test in India was a "bucket-list thing", and even Harmanpreet Kaur, her opposite number, admitted to "butterflies in the stomach" on the eve of the game.

England may have been the more experienced side, but the conditions levelled the scales: the pitch was brown and dry, promising generous turn, and rewards only for batters who knuckled down. India chose to bat, selecting three spinners, including Rana, who opened in both innings. Bell and Cross removed the Indian openers with the new ball, but Dean and Ecclestone, England's only slow bowlers, found the first day hard going, claiming a wicket apiece as four of the middle-order made sixties. One of them, Satheesh Shubha, on international debut, brought up her half-century from 49 balls, and was dropped by Knight at slip three overs later. Bell at mid-on somehow put down Bhatia on 15, and India reached the close on 410 for seven, already their highest home total. They added another 18 next morning.

Renuka Singh bowled Dunkley again, and Vastrakar trapped Knight. Then, after the vigilant Beaumont and the fluent Sciver-Brunt had added 51, Vastrakar ran out Beaumont with a direct hit from midwicket. England were on a knife-edge. At 108 for three, Sharma was brought into the attack, and it proved a decisive moment. Ten overs later, the visitors were all out; Sharma had five for seven, amid a collapse of seven for 28. Sciver-Brunt, the top-scorer, was castled by a perfect off-break from Rana Even with a lead of 292, Harmanpreet saw no reason to enforce the follow-on. She led India to the close at nearly four and a half an over; Ecclestone took a battering, though Dean picked up four wickets in the hunt for runs.

The declaration came overnight: England had two days to score 479. They lasted only a session. Vastrakar ripped out three, including Sciver-Brunt first ball, and Sharma came on immediately after the drinks break, dismissing Wyatt, Jones, Cross and Filer for the second time in the match. Gayakwad denied her a ten-wicket haul, but her match figures of nine for 39 were India's best at home; only Jhulan Goswami, with ten for 78 against England at Taunton in 2006, had done better anywhere.

Player of the Match: D. B. Sharma. Close of play: first day, India 410-7 (Sharma 60, Vastrakar 0); second day, India 18 6-6 (Kaur 44, Vastrakar 17).