It is a curious artefact in the Holy of Holies, ranking somewhere between Tendulkar’s batting gloves and Warne’s hair transplant. Yet it is a thing. To have one’s name inscribed thereon requires either five wickets or a century. The great man himself never achieved it, managing four scalps per innings many a time, but never the mystic Five-for. Some new names will be added, and not a moment too soon. But one is getting ahead of oneself. England’s innings resumed a couple of days since hoping for a substantial lead. Thanks to Kranti Gaud they never even looked like it. Gaud is a brisk seamer somewhat in the Glenn McGrath mode: not quick, but deadly accurate, delivering the ball between five and seven metres on and outside off-stump. She allowed natural variation and the Lords slope to work their magic, and bagged a well-earned 5/37 on a pitch that wasn’t doing an awful lot. Although her dismissal of Alice Capsey was more a Pat Cummins special, slanting in towards middle and leg and hitting the top of off.
Three of the top four were out leg before. None were especially blameworthy either. Gaud and Satghare simply outbowled the English women. The offspinner Sneh Rana chimed in with two more and England were dismissed for 170. Sciver-Brunt made a careful 44, and Amy Jones a sprightly 52, but no-one else really troubled the scorers. England needed quick wickets to have any hope in the match, but were instead ground down by Smriti Mandhana, who added 70 to her first-innings 83. She won’t appear on the Board of Boards, but perchance her time may yet come. She is a renowned smiter in white-ball cricket, but restrained herself admirably. But Yastika Bhatia carried the spoils with a marvellous century at number three. She hit fourteen boundaries in her knock and snuffed out England’s hopes. When the score reached 1/161 the lead was near 300. And still the English bowlers toiled away. Because this is Test cricket, after all.
That India did not make an absurd total was due to Sophie Ecclestone, who is well-used to long spells and got better as the day progressed. She is not a big spinner of the ball, but she is patience’s own child and wove her spells on the Indian middle order. 5/118 sounds like a long day’s work, and it was. But aside from Bell, who took the other two wickets and bowled with vim and precision, her compatriots could do nothing. Deepti Sharma made a joyous fifty as India did as they pleased and England had no answers. Finally Harmanpreet called a halt at 7/341, setting England a day and a bit to make 457. Which wasn’t going to happen. Day three ended with the last rites imminent. Gaud and Satghare destroyed the top order, and when Rana removed the English captain the last flicker of hope was expunged.
Day Four was all for honour. Villiers and Jones held the fort for a while. Jones made another fifty before being taken by Verma, and Villiers was unfortunate enough to club the ball at hurricane speed straight into the hands of Ghosh at silly mid-off. In 0.14 of a second Ghosh’s hands clutched at the ball in sheer self-preservation and held it. The tail did not abandon ship. They had to be prised out, and they were, after some stout defence. Ecclestone alone attempted some counter-strikes, and hit her way to a half-century before falling at last to a brute of an off-break from Rana, who took the bowling honours with 4/42. Kranti Gaud was named Player of the Match, and with seven wickets on a docile pitch she well and truly earned it. Sachin Tendulkar himself appeared in the stands, to the acclamation of the substantial crowd.
And the Honours Board? Gaud, Ecclestone and Bhatia’s names will be duly inscribed there. And not before time, either.