At Trent Bridge on Saturday, June 28, India crushed England by 97 runs to grab a 1-0 lead in the five-match series thanks to Smriti Mandhana’s first T20I century and Shree Charani’s four-fer in his T20I debut.
With the help of Harleen Deol’s 43 on the T20I comeback and England’s carelessness in the field, Mandhana led from the front and became India’s second female centurion in the format, leading the team to a massive 210 from their allowed overs. In the second half, Indian spinners gained control and took eight of the ten wickets. Charani took 4 for 12 from her 3.5 overs as England collapsed for 113 in the 15th over, despite Nat Sciver-Brunt’s valiant half-century.
Mandhana takes the lead.
India’s 210 was powered by a captain’s knock by Mandhana after Harmanpreet Kaur was rested due to a head injury sustained during the warm-up match earlier this week. The senior partner had to take the lead because Shafali Verma was hesitant to return, so Mandhana took full control and played everywhere on the pitch. Mandhana took advantage of the windy Nottingham weather and the matchups, which was an area where new captain Nat Sciver-Brunt made a mistake early on. Before hammering the left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, who bowled before the seasoned Sophie Ecclestone, she hit three boundaries off the new-ball bowlers.
Mandhana greeted the spinner with a slog-sweep over midwicket straight up and then two balls later when the veteran finally entered the attack following PowerPlay. India scored more than nine runs per over in the first half thanks to Mandhana’s unrelenting attack. After her 31st T20I half-century off of 27 balls, she changed tactics in the middle overs. With her 112, Mandhana became the fifth woman globally and the first Indian to reach 100 in all three formats. It also surpasses Harmanpreet’s 103 in the 2018 World Cup match against New Zealand, making it India Women’s highest individual score in the format.
Deol returns the pressure to England.
In Harmanpreet’s absence, Deol won a recall by playing her first Twenty20 International in almost two years. On the strength of her explosive ODI form, Deol was also moved to number three. She supported the management’s decision with a 23-ball 43 that included seven boundaries. Deol arrived determined and batted at a strike-rate of 200 or above for the majority of her time in the 94-ball partnership with the stand-in captain, even if Verma’s dismissal might have slowed India down. Deol, who was usually a slow starter in the beginning, showed progress when she took on the returning Linsey Smith for 13 of the 14-run over, including three boundaries, to maintain the momentum and quickly reached an eight-ball 20.
With a signature pull over the ropes shortly after the halfway point, Mandhana upped India’s hundred thanks to her ability to keep her foot firmly on the throttle. The pair raised a fifty-run stand in just four overs. Deol was given a reprieve on 25 and proceeded to score a crucial 43 before giving Lauren Bell the first of her three wickets by holing out to deep midwicket.
Bell aids in limiting India
India made a mistake at the end of their innings when Mandhana was obliged to stay off strike for the majority of the final overs after reaching the hundred. Given the high-scoring nature of the match, Bell finished with incredibly impressive numbers of 3 for 27 after striking twice more in three deliveries in the 18th over to dismiss Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh, who were both rapid scorers, early. Mandhana was compelled to hit every ball that remained after Arlott’s superb penultimate over, which ended with just five runs. The spinner got immediate retribution after Mandhana mistimed the next ball, even if the India skipper did step down to loft Sophie Ecclestone for a four downtown first-ball. India concluded with 210 when 225+ seemed certain not long ago, and she left to a standing ovation at Trent Bridge for an outstanding 112. However, this is India’s finest effort against England and their second-highest T20I total.
India under Deepti causes early harm
Sophia Dunkely started the chase with a four after India, who had only medium pacers available for quick bowling, handed the new ball to Amanjot Kaur, who began with a short and wide delivery. But to end the first over’s mixed bag, the English opener edged another similar delivery behind. At the other end, Deepti Sharma hit immediately, giving Danni Wyatt-Hodge a three-ball duck. When Deepti reappeared during the last PowerPlay over, Sciver-Brunt attempted to chase down the bowlers, but the Indian dominated Tammy Beaumont, leaving England reeling at 58/3 at the end of the first six overs.
Charani dominates, but Sciver-Brunt shines.
With Charani dismissing the dangerous Alice Capsey for her first wicket and Radha Yadav hitting twice in her opening two overs to force Amy Jones and Arlott to step back, Indian spinners continued to put pressure on England. The England captain, who fought a lone battle, carried on as normal despite all the chaos. In the 12th over, she reached a fifty off 31 balls, but Sciver-Brunt was rapidly running out of partners. Ecclestone picked Rodrigues close to the ropes flawlessly after making the poor decision to use a slog-sweep against the thrifty Charani. When the debutant had Sciver-Brunt edging behind that was only revealed on review, the hosts’ fate was essentially sealed. As England fell to 113, with the captain scoring 66 runs alone, Bell hit Rodrigues with another ball three balls later.
India
