Highlights
- India recover from top-order collapse to post a strong total
- Heather Knight becomes England Women's most-capped player across all formats
- India take a 1-0 lead in their final series before the T20 World Cup
JEMIMAH RODRIGUES and Yastika Bhatia struck half-centuries before debutant pacer Nandini Sharma took three wickets as India defeated England by 38 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match women's T20I series.
Playing without captain Harmanpreet Kaur, India recovered from a poor start to post 188 for seven and then restricted England to 150 for eight at the County Ground, Taunton, on Thursday (28).
Stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana was out for a golden duck, while her opening partner Shafali Verma managed two runs off three balls before falling to Lauren Bell (3/34), who gave England a brisk start after they opted to bowl.
Rodrigues made 69 off 40 balls, hitting ten fours and one six, while Yastika marked her return to T20I cricket after two years with 54 off 40 deliveries — her maiden T20I fifty — including nine fours and one six. The pair added 126 for the third wicket off 76 balls to turn the innings around.
Yastika, playing her first T20I since April 2023 following knee surgery, reached her fifty off 31 balls. Rodrigues brought up hers off the same number of deliveries.
England's fielding lapses added to their difficulties before Charlie Dean ran out Yastika and dismissed Rodrigues in the same over. India lost momentum briefly as Richa Ghosh and Bharti Fulmali fell cheaply, but Deepti Sharma's unbeaten 22 off 13 balls and a late contribution from Arundhati Reddy secured a strong total.
England never recovered
In reply, England never recovered after losing Sophia Dunkley (16) and Alice Capsey (6) inside four overs. Amy Jones kept the chase going with 67 off 48 balls, sharing a 64-run stand with Heather Knight (21). During her innings, Knight became England Women's most-capped player across all formats with 310 appearances, passing Charlotte Edwards.
Nandini then turned the match decisively. The 24-year-old removed Jones in the 16th over, dismissed Dani Gibson off the next ball and then accounted for Lauren Bell to finish with figures of 3/34. Kranti Gaud took two wickets, while Shree Charani and Deepti each claimed one as England fell well short.
"A lot of credit to Yastika. She took the load off me and that partnership was crucial. We assessed the conditions well," said Rodrigues, who was named player of the match. "Playing square of the wicket helped. My game is about picking gaps. I trust my instincts."
The series is India's final assignment before the T20 World Cup, which begins on June 12. India open their campaign against Pakistan on June 14.
(PTI)
