Led by their off-spinners Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma, India Women staged a superb fightback to keep England Women to 269 for six on the opening day of their one-off Test at the Bristol country ground on Wednesday. Skipper Heather Knight and opener Tammy Beaumont were tha main scrores for England. The home side was cruising at 230 for two at one stage in the final session before India bounced back with four quick wickets in the final session as the pitch began aiding spin and became slower. Leading England for the 100th time across all formats, Knight celebrated the occasion in style. She added 71 for the second wicket with Beaumonnt and then found an able ally in Natalie Sciver. The duo accumulated 90 for the third wicket, before disaster struck for England with three of the batters falling lbw in succession. All three batters had their DRS appeals turned down as Rana and Sharma shared five wickets between them. At close, Sophia Dunkley who made history by becoming the first black woman to play Test Cricket for England, was in the middle with Katherine Brunt Earlier. Watling made his debut in 2009 and few years later established himself as a batsman in the middle-order. I have certainly enjoyed the time I have spent with this team. It's been a hell of a journey. New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Watling is hoping to end his "one hell of a journey" in international cricket with a triumph in the World Test Championship Final against India beginning here on Friday. Watling is set to play his 75th and farewell Test after recovering from a back injury. I am just looking forward to playing another test Test match. It is an exciting one, and I am certainly pretty pumped to be in the final. I am just going into it how I do with every other Test going through the processor.
