Shubha and Rodrigues give the silent treatment to England

Silent treatment hurts. Dads know it. That's why they give it when you're desperate for their permission to go on that trip with your friends. Partners know it. That's why they turn their heads when you're trying to win them back after forgetting your anniversary.

On Thursday, all Shubha Satheesh and Jemimah Rodrigues, two of India's three Test debutants, offered was a silent raise of the bat. No loud celebrations, no running around. A warm hug followed by an acknowledgement towards the dressing room. It was their first half-century in their first outing in India whites. You could feel England's hurt.

A picture perfect cover drive - good forward stride, bent back knee and a straight bat - got Shubha off the mark in international cricket. Rodrigues was off in Tests with a push towards cover for a run. No fuss. Both Shubha and Rodrigues have had similar yet contrasting paths to the Test cap.

Rodrigues made her Under-19 debut for Mumbai at 13, while Shubha did so at 12 for Karnataka. Rodrigues made a name for herself with her attacking play while Shubha was known to be an accumulator and an excellent timer of the ball. Shubha led the batting charts in the Under-19 Women's Zonal One Day League in 2016 - 341 runs in five matches at an average of 113.67 - with Rodrigues second with 289 at 96.33.

In the following season, Rodrigues scored 1013 runs in 11 Under-19 One Day League matches. All of this led to an international debut in 2018 but the Test cap had to wait. Shubha, meanwhile, continued to ply her trade for Karnataka at the top of the order, adding new strings to her bow including becoming an agile and athletic fielder.

When India were set to play their first Test after seven years in 2021, Rodrigues was part of the squad but did not make the XI in either of the matches in England or Australia. Meanwhile, a couple of stellar seasons in domestic cricket saw Shubha named for India's first home Test since 2014. And the DY Patil was where both made their Test bows.

If there was any pressure when India slipped to 47 for 2 after winning the toss, it did not show in the pair's body language. India were to treat the Test match as an extension of their white-ball game, but Shubha and Rodrigues showed immense patience, be it while leaving deliveries outside off or when defending the good balls. They were also quick to forget the super good deliveries that had them in trouble and regrouped quickly.

Like when fast bowler Lauren Filer, who impressed with her high pace during the Women's Ashes, surprised Shubha with a mean bouncer that she just managed to evade. Or when Filer beat Rodrigues' inside edge with a nip-backer at 118kph. Their footwork, after being roughed up, was as assured as it was when they walked out to the middle.

On either side of lunch, Shubha and Rodrigues got to their half-centuries - a straight drive with a half-forward stride back past the bowler got Shubha to her mark while Rodrigues unfurled a lovely extra-cover drive to get to hers.

That England couldn't create enough pressure or bowl consistently in the right areas helped Shubha and Rodrigues add 115 for the third wicket. Fifty of the 76 balls Shubha faced for her 69 were dots; yet she managed to score at a strike rate of over 96 with the help of 13 fours. She finished with a control percentage of 81, the same as Rodrigues did for her 68 off 99 balls.

"We were just having normal conversations about our plans," Shubha said later. "Jemimah and I have played a lot of junior level cricket, so we know each other from quite long. It's just that we keep talking all the time.

"It was a beautiful wicket to bat on. Jemimah and [I] were just talking about it - just have to play proper cricketing shots to keep going."

India had a lot of unknowns heading into a first home Test in nine years. They weren't fancied to make 410 for 7 - the second-highest team total after a full day's play in women's Test history. But here they are thanks to the silent treatment their two debutants gave their much more experienced opponents.