3 TALKING POINTS FROM DAY 1 OF INDIA WOMEN'S RETURN TO RED-BALL CRICKET
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The Indian pacers could have bowled better lengths
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After being put into the field, the Indian bowlers got some movement in the air with the brand-new Dukes ball. While Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey and Pooja Vastrakar bowled decently in the first session, they arguably could've hit better lengths.
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38-year-old Goswami tirelessly sent down several overs in the first two sessions. She was probably a tad too short with the new ball. When she tried to get the English batters on the front foot, the end result was usually a confident drive.
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All three of Pandey, Goswami and Vastrakar bowled well considering the circumstances, beating the bat on occasion and getting the odd one to hold its line. But their lack of pinpoint accuracy meant that India had to resort to spin very early in the piece.
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England batters show great application and resolve
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Batting first, England openers Lauren Winfield-Hill and Tammy Beaumont showed great application and resolve to clinch the first session of the Test match by a significant margin on a challenging Bristol wicket. Winfield-Hill and Beaumont dug in soon after seeing out the new ball.
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They used the sweep to great effect against Sneh Rana's spin, and were severe on anything that was short from the pacers. Winfield-Hill couldn't capitalize on her start as Vastrakar took her maiden Test wicket, but Beaumont and captain Heather Knight stitched together a partnership.
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Skipper Heather Knight, batting at No. 3, made 95 off 175 balls, while the opener was dismissed for 66 off 144. Even the previously out-of-form Nat Sciver joined in on the fun, scoring 42 off 75 balls before being trapped in front by all-rounder Deepti Sharma.
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Has India's questionable decision to play Sneh Rana paid off?
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India made a big call at the toss for the one-off Test against England by handing Sneh Rana a Test debut. Picking the off-spinner against an English batting line-up that primarily features right-handers was a strange decision, especially ahead of the experienced Ekta Bisht and Poonam Yadav.
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Even Radha Yadav, an accurate left-arm spinner, was believed to be ahead of Rana in the pecking order. But on the whole, at the end of Day 1, it can be said that India's decision has been justified. The 27-year-old bagged the wickets of Beaumont, Amy Jones and Georgia Elwiss.
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Sneh Rana also bowled well in tandem with another off-spinner - Deepti Sharma. While it's impossible to tell if they experienced Bisht or Yadav would've made a bigger impact, Rana put in a superb performance in her first outing for the Indian team in four years.
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