India pacer Kranti Kaud has created history of sorts, after claiming her maiden fifer in Tests, that too at the Lord’s first-ever women’s match. The 22-year-old returned with figures of 5/37 to crush England in their first innings, and restrict them to 170, in reply of India’s 285 — handing the visitors a lead of 115 runs.
Kranti Gaud’s fifer hands India the lead
The young pacer picked up key wickets throughout the 2 sessions of the second day — Maia Bouchier, Tammy Beaumont, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Alice Capsey, and Lauren Bell being her victims. In a way, she kickstarted the collapse of the English innings, who at one stage were reduced to 47/4. Meanwhile, with this, she also becomes only the fourth Indian to bag a fifer in women’s Test — after Shubhangi Kulkarni (5), and Jhulan Goswami (2), and Gargi Banerjee (1).
Coming to the overall records, Kranti Gaud happens to be the 16th Indian to bag a fifer at Lord’s. She joins a prolific list of Indian players — Mohammad Nissar, Amar Singh, Lala Amarnath, Vinoo Mankad, Ramakant Desai, B Chandrasekhar, Bishan Singh Bedi, Kapil Dev, Chetan Sharma, Venkatesh Prasad, RP Singh, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Youngest IND pacer to take fifer
In addition to that, Kranti’s fifer is also the first by a pacer in England since Ellyse Perry’s effort of 6/32 in 2015. That is not it. She happens to be the youngest Indian pacer to get a 5-wicket haul in Tests (22y & 333 d), surpassing Jhulan Goswami’s record of 22y & 361d in 2005.
Mind you, this is Kranti’s only second Test — having played one against Australia earlier in the year. There she had picked up two wickets, and had looked a bit out of sorts there. As far as the other bowlers in the match is concerned, Kranti was supported well by Sayali Satghare — 2/40, Sneh Rana — 2/41, and Deepti Sharma — 1/10.
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