Opening day of World Test Championship final in Southampton
#bbccricket
Hypocaust: Shafali Verma becomes the 4th woman to make two 50+ scores on Test debut: Lesley Cooke (ENG) v IND, 1986 Vanessa Bowen (SL) v PAK, 1998 Jess Jonassen (AUS) v ENG, 2015 Shafali Verma (IND) v ENG, 2021
Verma 55, Sharma 17
Ecclestone pitches it up, Verma wallops it back down the ground for four. Easy as you like.
The opener now has 55 from 68 balls.
Henry Moeran
Test Match Special
A superstar of this game already, at 17 years old. We said yesterday when she reached her first half-century that we would see many more, and now we have.
Ind 77-1
Shafali Verma knows no pressure.
The 17-year-old's name was on all our lips coming into the match. Could she replicate her limited-overs prowess into the Test arena?
Too right she could. And she did.
A clip into the leg side brings up her second half-century of the match.
Train by 87 runs
Now then, Sharma leans in nicely and drills Cross through the covers for four. In fact, the India number three scores seven from three balls.
Alex Hartley
England World Cup-winning spinner on Test Match Special
What I love about Shafali Verma, and we've probably said it about a thousand times already, is the timing. It's just immaculate.
Trail by 99
It's like two games going on out there. Verma's first thought is to hit the ball for four, with defence an absolute last resort. Deepti is the polar opposite - only attack if the risk is infinitesimal. The deficit is now below 100.
Henry Moeran
Test Match Special
You sense with Verma that every ball she defends, there's a big intake of breath, bat raised, ready to pounce but then the realisation of 'wait, no, I have to block it'.
Trail by 100
We haven't had this confirmed, but the assumption is tea will be taken at 16:10 BST.
Cricket is a silly sport.
Alex Hartley
England World Cup-winning spinner on Test Match Special
Just a bit too much width from Kate Cross there, and you could actually hear her on the stump mic shouting 'No, Crossy!'
Trail by 102
What's happened to Deepti Sharma during the rain break? Shotless previously, she's returned with a lovely drive through the covers for four.
Henry Moeran
Test Match Special
I am still concerned about the light. You can see shadows protruding from the feet of England's fielders.
This was taken in sunnier times, before Katherine Brunt bowled to Shafali Verma.
Verma is at the non-striker's end, with Kate Cross bowling to Deepti Sharma.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe players are back out, with the umpires making their way to the middle. It's grim. Dark and cold. Without floodlights, we wouldn't be playing.
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Good news. We start again at 3.40pm.
Although now I'm wondering if we're going to be in the daft situation of going off again for tea soon...
Good news is that the covers seem to be coming off!
Hopefully we will get some play shortly, and here's Stephan Shemilt to take you through it.
If we get any further play today and Shafali Verma goes on to make another half-century, she would become just the fourth woman to make two 50+ scores on Test debut.
Phil Long
BBC Test Match Special statistician
Where else in life would you see a 35-year-old woman sticking her tongue out at a 17-year-old?
Image source, Getty ImagesWant another Shafali Verma boundary? Of course you do.