Deepti Sharma, DRS and history made

The bands playing to welcome a full house crowd at the County Ground in Derby, the opening ceremony involving the kids, spectacular batting by Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj, and Suzie Bates’s unbeaten 106 for New Zealand Women against Sri Lanka Women in Bristol were some of the highlights of the first day of the Women’s World Cup.

But moment that will go down in the history books came off the first ball of the 18th over of England Women’s chase. After India Women posted 281 for 3, England was rebuilding through a third-wicket partnership between Heather Knight and Natalie Sciver when Deepti Sharma, the off-spinner, was brought into the attack.

Sciver tried to sweep Deepti’s first ball, but failed to execute the shot. Sushma Verma took a smart catch behind the stumps on the legside, but Ahsan Raza, the umpire, remained unmoved. After consultation with her teammates, Raj, India’s captain, opted for the Decision Review System. It was the first time in the history of women’s cricket that DRS was being used. India were proved right as replays showed that the ball had brushed Sciver’s gloves on its way to Verma.

And with that history was made!

India eventually dismissed England for 246 in 47.3 overs to win by 35 runs, while in the other match New Zealand won by nine wickets against Sri Lanka.