The spotlight will be firmly on the matchup between Ecclestone-Smith and India’s batting order © Getty Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith – England’s left-arm spin pair – have accounted for 50 per cent of the team’s 30 wickets in the 2025 World Cup so far. That’s as many wickets India – their opponents in Sunday’s clash in Indore – have collectively lost to that bowling style in their four outings so far. Even without those worrying numbers, India’s emerging vulnerability in tackling left-arm spin has dominated the discourse ahead of the high-stakes game between the two heavyweights that haven’t yet justified that billing. The spotlight, therefore, will be firmly on the matchup between Ecclestone-Smith and India’s batting order – a contest within the contest that could well dictate the course of the match and perhaps even the tournament trajectory for both teams. Unsurprisingly, England are banking on that advantage with head coach Charlotte Edwards backing the impact the duo can have in conditions tailor-made for their craft. “[Left-arm spin match-ups] are certainly really important [to bowling plans]. Any sort of advantage you can get over an opposition you’ll look into,” Edwards said of England’s match-up advantage. “Obviously we’ve got four spinners with us on this trip so those type of things [India’s weakness] do we do take into account. We do know there is a vulnerability there, and we’ve got two left-arm spinners which is great,” the former English captain noted. “Left-arm spin has been quite prolific in women’s cricket over the last few years, probably more in the T20 format. With this tournament being in India, our reasons for picking two left-arm spinners [were that] we knew they’d be really effective. We’ve got two of the best in the world and well, certainly the best in the world in Sophie Ecclestone. She bowled superbly against Sri Lanka, so it’d be great to have her back out here tomorrow performing well. It’s just one of those bowling styles that’s been hugely effective and, and I’m glad we’ve got two.” England themselves have a blindspot in batting, though. The trio of Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley and Emma Lamb – all pivotal to England’s white-ball future – have been underwhelming with the bat and yet persisted with ahead of the experienced Danni Wyatt-Hodge. A collective tally of 83 runs from nine innings between them at 9.22 is far from their potential, and has led to embarrassing situations. England have suffered two dramatic collapses in four outings already: reduced to 78/5 against Bangladesh and 78/7 against Pakistan – both times struggling to tackle the incoming deliveries. Their bowling saved them the blushes on one occasion and rain gods were kind on the other for them to walk away with three of the four available points. While it’s been duly acknowledged, Edwards stressed England aren’t dwelling on mishaps of the past in a fast-moving tournament. “We’ve spoken about it. Obviously we’d be sitting silly not to,” Edwards said. “But, one of my messages to the team [was] we don’t want to dwell on it. We’re going to a new venue against a new team and yeah, we’ve learned some lessons from the last-four [matches] through all facets of our game. But we’re in a really good position. If someone had said to me a few weeks ago that you’d be in the position you’re in having been unbeaten, I’d have taken it. So, I think our best cricket is in front of us, which is the most positive thing for us and we’re looking forward to that. “I’m not concerned. I think you have days where it doesn’t go particularly well. I’m disappointed, probably, that we didn’t adapt quick enough, but I’m certainly not concerned. But, you’ve got to move on quite quickly in tournament cricket. If you look at South Africa in the first game of the tournament, they bowled out for 70 and they’ve played brilliantly since… We’ve got the experience in our top-order, and I think our best cricket is in front of us.” Neither is England second-guessing their first-choice combination yet. Certainly not ahead of a high-stakes game. “Danni’s obviously a very experienced batter and that’s why she’s been picked in this squad but going into this tournament, Emma Lamb, Sophia Dunkley, and Alice Capsey performed brilliantly throughout our warm-up phases and at the backend of our English summer. It’s hugely competitive but we’re obviously really happy with how our order is performing. You can’t go off the back of two games. It’s a great game [vs India] to be part of, and we want to back the batting order that we kind of selected at the start of the tournament because that’s the one we feel will give us success hopefully in these conditions.” One in the Indian team that might pose a serious threat for England’s crumbling batting is none other than Madhya Pradesh’s own, Kranti Gaud. Edwards spoke highly of the 22-year-old who claimed a career-best six-fer in England in the lead-up to the World Cup to practically cement her spot in India’s 15. The England coach got a first-hand look at the pacer even before Gaud’s India or WPL debut earlier this year. Seeing the rapid strides the youngster has made since her net-bowler days at Mumbai Indians in 2024, Edwards earmarked Gaud as the one to watchout for in what is theoretically her homeground. “She got some decent movement in the [English] summer on all her six wickets… she got some at the latter end of an innings when we were chasing the 300+ [target]. But she’s a really good up and coming young bowler and she’s obviously performed brilliantly for India in her short international career so far,” Edwards said. “I met Kranti when I was at Mumbai. She was a net bowler two years ago, so to see her rise now playing for India and performing the way she does… [As opponents] we’ll be focusing on all of India’s bowlers – they’ve got a very good bowling attack; but Kranti had a brilliant English summer and she’ll be someone to watch out for tomorrow.”
