One-off WTest: Shafali Verma dismissed for duck at Lord's
What's the story
The Indian team was off to a poor start in a four-day women's Test match at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground in London. Batting first in the game, the visitors lost their destructive opener, Shafali Verma, for a four-ball duck. Notably, this is the first time a women's Test is being held at Lord's, 142 years after its inaugural men's Test. Here are further details.
Dismissal
Shafali falls to Lauren Filer
The swinging conditions in England were always going to be a challenge for Indian batters. Lauren Filer, who was handed the second over of the game, struck with her second ball. The pacer bowled a short-of-length delivery, which nipped back at Shafali, who looked to defend on the back foot. Having got into an awkward position, the dasher edged the ball to Amy Jones at slips.
Stats
Maiden duck in the format
This was Shafali's maiden duck across 13 innings and seven Test matches, as per ESPNcricinfo. Her previous two outings in England resulted in scores worth 96 and 63. Overall, the 22-year-old now owns 607 WTest runs at a brilliant average of 50.58 (SR: 74.02). The tally includes three fifties as her only three-figure score is a 197-ball 205 against South Africa in 2024.