Guards and Boards of Honour aplenty as India crush hapless England

India (285 all out and 341/7) lead England (170 all out and 130/6) by 326 runs

• Yastika Bhatia’s first international century sets up India’s mammoth second innings

• India declare at tea setting England a notional 457

• England’s top 5 fail again

• Amy Jones’ half century ensures the game reaches its fourth day

“Life is a series of meetings and partings” – Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit in “A Muppet Christmas Carol”

Cricket famously provides moments of sentiment amidst the on-pitch struggle and tussle. As well as the gamesmanship and sledging used to seek even the slightest advantage on the field, cricket still retains a sense of honouring the achievements of even the bitterest opponents. Possibly a nod to the sense of noblesse oblige passed down from its aristocratic roots.

One of the most famous instances of this occurred at the Oval in August 1948 when England’s men raised their caps and gave three cheers to Don Bradman, their tormentor of the previous 20 years as he played his final test innings. Famously, of course, Bradman, overwhelmed by the gesture was bowled by Eric Hollies for a duck, much to the shock of the gathered spectators and much to the delight of his old team mates Jack Fingleton and Bill O’Reilly in the press box, who disliked him immensely.

Today was a chance to say goodbye to two long-serving members of the England team – players who had begun their careers as amateurs and only in recent times had benefitted from the financial rewards available to players today. Both were World Cup winners who had captained their country and scored plenty of runs.

Tammy Beaumont, who hit 208, the highest score by any England woman, at the Ashes test of 2023. And Heather Knight, who captained England in 199 matches. Both are part of an exclusive group of only five women to have scored centuries in all three formats.

Before the sentimental goodbyes, there was much cricket to be played, especially if England, as Amy Jones wisely pointed out in the previous day’s press conference, could implement their top-secret victory strategy of bowling out lots of the opposition batters really cheaply and then scoring a stack load of runs themselves in the final innings of the game.

Sadly, however, Amy’s winning strategy did not work out today. Although Amy fulfilled her part of the deal and is probably the main reason this match has managed to reach its fourth day.

India began the day on 154/1, leading England by 269 runs and with Smriti Mandhana at the crease in scintillating form, 69 not out overnight and surely destined for the honours board. India’s top five contains four “rock star” cricketers: Smriti, Shafali, Jemi and Harman. Of these, Smriti Mandhana is the most gifted and the one who will certainly be recognised as an “all-time great” of the game. 

It was Smriti’s batting partner, Yastika Bhatia, who began the day shakily and rather fortunately. Her very first ball from Lauren Bell threaded itself improbably past the inside edge and grazed her off stump as the bail remained stubbornly in its groove. It was the most remarkable piece of fortune for the left-hander from Gujarat, and maybe an omen of how things would later transpire for her.

For today was a day when one of the top five would grace the honours board, but possibly the least likely of them, someone who had never scored an international century: Yastika Bhatia.

Smriti had added only one run to her overnight score when Lauren Bell tempted her to chase after a ball going down the leg side, which was gratefully caught by Amy Jones, diving athletically to her right. 

Jemi, all vim, verve and agility, let one through the gate from Lauren Bell and had to depart forlorn back to the pavilion for a disappointing three runs.

Harman stuck around for longer, but is clearly troubled by an ongoing back problem, which has needed treating on field at regular intervals during the game. After hitting 16 from 34 balls, she was eventually given out LBW on review to Sophie Ecclestone.

With India on 212/4, a lead of 327, they almost certainly knew that already enough runs had been acquired to win the game, but still, there was plenty of time for the visitors to put it completely out of England’s reach and to obtain some important milestones on the way.

The first of those milestones was for Bhatia to reach her century. She got to lunch on 91 not out. One imagines that, being in the nervous nineties, she did not have the appetite to tuck into the full Lord’s dining experience at lunchtime, which is a pity, for the food at Lord’s is exquisite and delicious. But no matter, for Issy Wong had a buffet of her own specially prepared for the first over back.

Two consecutive balls, wide outside off stump with no backward point to stop them, were dispatched gleefully away to the boundary and Bhatia was suddenly on 99. Moments later she had taken the single needed to reach three figures. A remarkable achievement for one who ruptured her ACL last September and therefore missed India’s ODI World Cup win.

As India upped the run rate in order to press home their advantage further, Deepti Sharma was out LBW to Ecclestone on review, Bhatia was finally dismissed, skying a catch to Mady Villiers at mid-on and Richa Ghosh started playing her full expansive game, which England responded to by placing all their fielders on the boundary, like numbers on a giant clock.

Sophie Ecclestone, who had bowled unchanged for the entirety of the day, kept herself going, knowing that she was one wicket away from getting her own five wicket haul. It was in her 17^th over of the day, her 28^th of the innings, that she got one through Sneh Rana’s defences to hit middle stump. England finally had something to cheer about as the Lancashire bowler became the first English woman to feature on the home test honours board at Lord’s.

In the 87^th over, Richa Ghosh reached her half century and India declared, setting England a highly improbable 457 to win in four sessions.

And then came the goodbyes.

First to go was Tammy Beaumont. Her wickets were skittled by Kranti Gaud. She was gone for a golden duck in her final innings for England. It all happened so quickly that she had to be temporarily halted from walking off so that India could hastily assemble a guard of honour.

As she left for the final time, Heather Knight entered for the final time. And for the next few overs she witnessed first Maia Bouchier then Nat Sciver-Brunt dismissed cheaply as any illusion that England were going to battle for an unlikely draw or an even unlikelier win, evaporated like a morning mist in the summer sun.

Knight herself was next to go, caught by Richa Ghosh at short leg. And after a quick umpire review, it was confirmed that she too would pass through the guard of honour and wave goodbye to international cricket.

Much has been written and discussed about her record as a leader, her dismissal as captain and even the timing of her retirement announcement. One thing, however, is certain. She is a person of significance when we tell the story of the evolution of the women’s game. Also, it is worth remembering that when the Afghan women’s cricket team needed powerful people to stand up for them, Heather Knight was one of those people, which tells us something about her character. We wish her well.

With an hour left to play, England were on the precipice. Capsey played down the wrong line – again – to Kranti Gaud. England were 60/5 and the game was almost up. Enter Amy Jones, inventor of the “Jones foolproof winning cricket strategy”™, which she had elaborated at the previous day’s press conference.

Just like in the first innings, it was Jones who demonstrated to her colleagues what was needed to be successful on this pitch. She remains not out on 52 overnight and whilst she is still there, England have a chance of taking this game deep. Mady Villiers, who has had a decent test debut, is very unfortunate not to be with her still, after being dismissed by a remarkable piece of fielding from Richa Ghosh at silly point. Villiers middled the ball. Ghosh did not move, and the ball stuck in her open hands like Velcro. Villiers was dismissed for 26 and England closed on 130/6, still 327 runs short of victory. 

One senses that the end will be mercifully quick tomorrow.