India defeats England again to take a 2-0 lead
India defeats England again to take a 2-0 lead
An all-round performance by the Indian women's team takes a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20 series with a convincing 24-run win at Bristol against England.
India Women gave a clinical all-around performance to clinch their second straight win over England in the five-match T20I series, going 2-0 up with a 24-run victory in Bristol. Sent in to bat, India got off to a bright start as Smriti Mandhana found the boundary twice in the very first over. However, the momentum shifted quickly in England's favour as Shafali Verma's poor form continued, and Mandhana was dismissed early for 13. Harmanpreet Kaur, back in the XI, couldn’t capitalise either and fell cheaply, leaving India in deep trouble at 35 for 3 by the end of the powerplay.
With the top order crumbling, it was left to Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur to steady the innings. They began cautiously, rebuilding the innings with singles and rotating the strike. The turning point came in the 10th over when Rodrigues launched an attack, hammering Em Arlott for a six, followed by two boundaries in a row. She backed it up with three more fours in the next over, shifting the pressure back on the hosts and raising her half-century in style. Amanjot followed suit, growing in confidence and punishing anything loose. Together, the duo stitched a momentum-shifting stand and added valuable runs in quick time. Rodrigues eventually departed thanks to a fine catch by Sophia Dunkley, but Amanjot carried on and notched up her maiden T20I fifty.
Richa Ghosh provided the finishing touches, playing a fiery unbeaten knock of 32 from just 20 deliveries. Her aggressive hitting in the death overs ensured India posted a healthy total, scoring 55 runs in the last five overs. Chasing the target, England were rocked early as they stumbled to 17 for 3 inside the first few overs. Sophia Dunkley was run out in the opening over, and Deepti Sharma struck with her first ball to remove Danielle Wyatt-Hodge. Nat Sciver-Brunt tried to steady things with a few crisp boundaries but was dismissed soon after, mistiming a shot off Amanjot.
Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones then came together and showed resistance, stitching a valuable partnership. Beaumont, in particular, looked composed and scored her first half-century in almost four years, keeping England’s hopes alive. But just when it looked like the game was tilting, Sneh Rana pulled off a sharp piece of fielding to run Beaumont out, dealing England a massive blow. With the pressure back on, India’s bowlers tightened the screws, picking up regular wickets and maintaining control with disciplined bowling. Sophie Ecclestone struck a few lusty blows towards the end, but it wasn’t enough to prevent India from sealing the win.
In the end, it was a complete team effort, with standout batting from Rodrigues and Amanjot, smart finishing from Ghosh, and a top-notch bowling effort to help India surge to a 2-0 lead. The visitors will be brimming with confidence as they head into the third game with a chance to clinch the series.