ENG W vs IND W: England’s women’s team has made a strong start to the three-match T20I series against India. H Knight-led England side beat the hosts by 38 runs in the first game to take a 1-0 lead at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. Indian skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and opted to bowl first and it looked to be a good decision after Renuka Verma snared two wickets in the very first over.
The Indian pacer castled Dunkley’s (1) stumps on the fourth ball of the match. It was followed with another gem of a delivery as Alice Capsey (0) had her stumps rattled on the very first ball she faced. Making her comeback in the T20I series, Nat Sciver-Brunt then joined hands with D Wyatt and the duo led England’s recovery. The duo placed the balls in the gaps and scored at a rapid pace.
India couldn’t get a single wicket in the next 14 overs as they shared a 138-run partnership off just 87 deliveries for the third wicket. D Wyatt hit 8 fours and 2 sixes en route to his 75-run knockoff just 47 balls. Wyatt would have gotten out earlier while she was in her 40s, however, Pooja Vastrakar dropped the easiest of catches at long-on off Shreyanka Patil.
ENG W vs IND W: India Women flattered in the chase of 197 runs
In the same over, the latter also put down a low-return catch off Sciver-Brunt. She was playing on 45 at that time. She went on to make 77 off 53 before Renuka Singh sent her back, courtesy of an outstanding catch from Richa Ghosh.
Debutant, Shreyanka Patil accounted for the wicket of skipper H Knight but a 9-ball cameo of 23 runs from Amy Jones meant England registered their second-highest T20I total against India- 197/6 in 20 overs.
In pursuit of the target, India suffered an early blow as Nat Sciver-Brunt castled her stumps with a swinging delivery. Rodrigues also got out cheaply for 4 but Shafali Verma kept the team in the chase with brutal hitting. Despite wickets falling at the other end, Verma kept scoring boundaries at a quick pace. Harmanpreet Kaur looked good for her 21-ball 26 but fell off Ecclestone just when it was time to accelerate.
Richa Ghosh (21 off 16) too was guilty of not converting the start. Shafali Verma (52 off 42) proved to be the lone warrior but once she reached her half-century, she too departed as well. India, in the end, fell 38 runs short in the end.
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