ENG-W vs IND-W: 2nd T20I Review – India storm back to keep the series alive

After suffering an 18-run loss in the first T20I, India women made an emphatic comeback and defeated England by eight runs in the second game. The contest was indeed a close one as both teams were neck-to-neck for the major part. However, the Women in Blue capitalized on some moments and emerged victoriously. With this triumph, India have leveled the three-match series 1-1.

Earlier in the game, England captain Heather Knight won the toss and elected to bowl first at the County Ground in Hove. However, the decision didn’t seem to be spot on in the first few overs. Openers Shafali Verma (48) and Smriti Mandhana (20) made brilliant use of the powerplay and gave India a flying start. The former was magnificent in particular as he scored a quick-fire 48, giving her side the command.

Unfortunately for the visitors, both openers departed in the span of three balls and England were right back in the hunt. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (31) did well to steady the ship alongside Deepti Sharma (24) but there was a significant downfall in the scoring rate. Natalie Sciver and Sophie Ecclestone bowled exceptionally well in the latter part as the visitors couldn’t score freely. As a result, India was restricted to 148/6 despite getting a stellar start.

Chasing the tricky total, England didn’t get a great start with Danielle Wyatt and Natalie Sciver getting out inside three overs. Opener Tammy Beaumont, nevertheless, united with skipper Heather Knight and the duo rebuilt the innings. With the scorecard reading 106/2, the game seemed slipping away from India’s grasp.

However, Poonam Yadav’s sensational spell and some poor running between the wickets added spice in the contest. England’s middle-order collapsed badly and India capitalized on the situation. The Three Lions were eventually restricted to 140/8, losing the game by eight runs.

Top Performers

Shafali Verma

After bagging a duck in the previous game, Shafali Verma bounced back and how. The dasher was brilliant throughout her innings as she scored runs all over the park. She, in fact, smashed Katherine Brunt for five boundaries in an over. Interestingly, it was Brunt only who dismissed Shafali in the first T20I. In total, the opener scored 48 off just 28 deliveries.

Tammy Beaumont

We lost a couple of early wickets but Tammy’s going nicely.

Scorecard & Videos: https://t.co/kqoeL4EXY8#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/Oent87h1SZ

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 11, 2021

Verma’s England counterpart Tammy Beaumont also impressed one and all in this contest. Despite losing wickets from the other end, the opener didn’t put her guard down and made the Indian team work hard. She ended up scoring 59 off 50 balls, putting her side in a comfortable position. However, a sudden collapse meant the hosts came second in the contest.

Key stats

Radha Yadav went wicketless for the first time in 28 T20I innings. The left-arm spinner had already made the world record but her streak ended in this game.

This was India Women’s first victory in the last five T20Is on England soil.

What’s Next

With the three-match series now poised at 1-1, all boils down to the third and final T20I which takes place at the County Ground in Chelmsford on Wednesday (July 14). With the momentum being in India’s favour, they would like to win the important game. However, the hosts would leave no stones unturned to avoid a series defeat at home.