Shafali Verma leads India recovery after England enforce the follow-on

SCORECARD

Shafali Verma hit an unbeaten half-century on a rain-affected third day of the one-off Test between India and England in Bristol.

The 17-year-old, who scored a sparkling 96 in India’s first innings, ended the day on 55* as the visitors head into the fourth and final day on 83/1, still trailing England by 82.

Earlier on an overcast day England picked up where they had left off on Thursday morning, rattling through the Indian lower order, with spinner Sophie Ecclestone taking three wickets in the first session to finish with figures of 4/88.

Ecclestone struck with her very first ball of the morning, catching Harmanpreet Kaur on the front pad as she pushed forward, with England successfully overturning the original not-out verdict.

And India, who added just 44 more runs to their overnight score, were forced to follow on after being dismissed for 231.

The brilliant Verma set about reducing the deficit at a remarkable pace, creaming five fours in her first 14 balls. But the youngster was forced to reduce her pace after Katherine Brunt had fellow opener Smriti Mandhana caught in the slips for eight.

Verma reached her fifty from 63 balls.

But the rain arrived shortly before the scheduled tea break, and there was no further play on the day, leaving the visitors facing an uphill battle to save the Test on Saturday.