England dominated the majority of the Test match, but the India Women's team showed restraint and tenacity to hold out for a draw. India's debutantes were outstanding in their first match, denying England the opportunity to defeat India for the first time in the format in their own backyard.
England declared their innings on 396 for the loss of nine wickets. India Women were bundled out for 231 and forced to continue. The Indians faced a difficult task. Following the loss of Deepti Sharma, Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Punam Raut in quick succession, Sneh Rana stepped up in her debut innings to see them through.
In the first innings, Sneh Rana and Taniya Bhatia each lasted 22 balls. So England must have been hoping to get the last two Indian wickets as soon as possible.
Sneh and Taniya, on the other hand, were not in the mood. They blunted, tormented, and attacked England's formidable line-up for more than 30 overs. Their unbroken 104-run stand for the ninth wicket gave India a draw that captivated cricket fans.
Sneh, on the other hand, is just one of Bristol's success stories for India. Shafali Verma, a 17-year-old from India, scored 96 and 63. She was regarded so highly as a T20 specialist that she was not even given an ODI cap.
It was remarkable how Shafali and Taniya, the 23-year-old wicketkeeper known for her quick stumpings, adapted to the demands of a Test match despite having played little or no red-ball cricket. On India's domestic circuit, multi-day cricket is uncommon. In terms of Tests, the Indian women had only played three in the previous 15 years prior to Bristol.
"I was just thinking about playing to my strengths and with confidence, and according to my cricket. [Senior players] are always giving my experience and they compliment me before going out to bat. That's means so much to me. I was so disappointed [to miss the hundred]. I just want to be a good cricketer for my side, that's it," says, Shafali.
Sneh Rana became the first player from the India Women's team to score 50 runs and take four wickets in her Test debut. In the first innings, she took four wickets for 31 runs. Rana then scored a defiant half-century in India's second innings to secure a draw. She remained unbeaten on 80 and formed an important partnership with Taniya Bhatia.
Sneh Rana said, "I'm so proud to have a partnership between us, with Taniya, Harman and Shikha Pandey, most importantly at that time. I'm feeling really great that I'm able to contribute something for my team. I just thought, stick to your basics, and play according to that ball, that's it. I only played according to the ball."
India's heroics and exciting cricket on all four days would have undoubtedly gained new fans for the women's game. A pink-ball Test is scheduled for later this year in Australia.
Captain Mithali Raj and her team want to play more Tests. Certainly not at a one-in-seven-year rate.
