The visitors recovered impressively from 37 for two, with Mandhana anchoring the innings alongside Jemimah Rodrigues before combining with captain Harmanpreet Kaur in an 89-run fourth-wicket stand. Mandhana looked set for a century before falling for 83, while Harmanpreet added a composed 58 to keep India in command through the middle session.
England, however, responded strongly after tea. Debutant spinner Mady Villiers, Sophie Ecclestone and Issy Wong struck at regular intervals to trigger a collapse that saw India lose seven wickets for 85 runs. Deepti Sharma’s valuable 57 and her partnership with Sneh Rana ensured India crossed the 280-run mark despite the late setbacks.
The day also featured a significant individual milestone for Ecclestone, who overtook Katherine Sciver-Brunt to become England’s leading wicket-taker in women’s international cricket.
England’s reply began cautiously as Kranti Goud removed Tammy Beaumont for just two runs. Maya Bouchier remained unbeaten on 17 alongside Heather Knight as the hosts finished the day on 21 for one, still trailing by 264 runs.
With India missing the opportunity to convert a dominant position into a bigger first-innings total and England looking to build on their late momentum, the Test remains finely balanced heading into the second day at the Home of Cricket.
