England women's cricket team holds a 36-run lead over India after day two of the one-off Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. The hosts ended the day on 186 for 6 in their second innings, following a strong bowling performance that dismissed India for 318 earlier in the day.
England's Second Innings
Nat Sciver-Brunt top-scored with 67 runs off 102 balls, including 11 boundaries. She was well supported by Heather Knight, who made 45, and Tammy Beaumont, who contributed 34. However, India's spinners struck regularly, with Deepti Sharma taking 5 for 94, her second five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Sneh Rana also chipped in with 1 for 33.
England's innings began shakily after losing opener Emma Lamb early, but Sciver-Brunt and Knight steadied the ship with a 92-run partnership for the third wicket. After Knight's dismissal, Sciver-Brunt continued to anchor the innings until she was caught behind off Deepti Sharma.
India's First Innings
Earlier, India resumed on 244 for 9 and added 74 runs for the final wicket, thanks to a gritty 56 not out from Deepti Sharma and 31 from Pooja Vastrakar. They were eventually bowled out for 318, with England's Sophie Ecclestone taking 4 for 82 and Kate Cross 3 for 63.
India's lower-order resistance frustrated England, as the last-wicket pair put on 74 runs in 15.2 overs, taking the total past 300. Deepti Sharma's innings included nine fours and a six, while Vastrakar hit five boundaries.
Match Context
This is the first women's Test between the two sides since 2014, and the first to be played at Trent Bridge. The match is part of a multi-format series that also includes three ODIs and three T20Is. England have a 2-0 lead in the Test series historically, but India won the last encounter in 2014 by six wickets.
With two days remaining, the match is evenly poised. England will look to set a challenging target for India, while the visitors will aim to restrict the lead and chase down a manageable total.
