Heather Knight’s 95 Takes England to 269/6 on Day 1 vs India

Watch Highlights: Heather Knight’s 95 helps England score 269/6 by Stumps on Day 1 vs India.

Bristol: England’s Tammy Beaumont celebrates her half-century during day one of the Women’s International Test match between England and India at the Bristol County Ground in Bristol, England, Wednesday June 16, 2021.

(Photo: PTI)

Led by captain Heather Knight's 95, England's top order fared pretty well while the Indian women would be satisfied at restricting the hosts to 269/6 at Stumps on the first day of the one-off Test in Bristol on Wednesday.

At close, Sophia Dunkley was batting on 12 (47 balls, 1x4) and Katherine Brunt was on seven (30 balls). The top scorer of the innings so far has been No.3 batswoman Heather (175 balls, 9x4s).

For India, debutant off-spinner Sneh Rana was the most successful bowler with three wickets, and she also bowled the most overs on the opening day, 29. Her victims included Tammy Beaumont (66, 144 balls, 6x4s), wicketkeeper Amy Ellen Jones (1), and Georgia Elwiss (5).

Debutant Deepti Sharma bagged two crucial wickets, of Heather when she was just five runs short of a century and Natalie Sciver (42, 75 balls, 6x4s). The Uttar Pradesh off-spinning all-rounder had both batswomen leg before wicket.

Heather was involved in two important partnerships. She and Tammy added 71 runs for the second wicket, and then collaborated for a 90-run stand for the third with Natalie. These two partnerships provided solidity to England's first innings, even as India missed a few opportunities and lost a review.

England, on the other hand, lost three reviews, including the one taken for Heather.

Shafali Verma took a one-handed catch of Tammy at short leg off the bowling of Sneh which broke the opening wicket partnership of 69.

Captain Mithali Raj used six bowlers, of which veteran Jhulan Goswami, pacer Shikha Pandey, and Harmanpreet Kaur went wicketless. Pacer Pooja Vastrakar Lauren dismissed opener Lauren Winfield Hill for 35 (63 balls, 4x4s, 2x6s).

Earlier, England women had won the toss and elected to bat.

India, who are playing their first Test in almost seven years, fielded five debutants -- batter Shafali, all-rounder Deepti Sharma, pacer Pooja and wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia. Sneh, who is also making her debut, returned to India fold after five years.