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- India Women vs England Women highlights, 3rd T20I: Alice Capsey, Heather Knight power Australia to 6-wicket win vs India
India Women vs England Women highlights, 3rd T20I: Alice Capsey, Heather Knight power Australia to 6-wicket win vs India
The series has also served as an important testing ground for India as they fine-tune their combinations for English conditions. So far, Yastika Bhatia has been India's most consistent batter, following up a half-century in the opening game with another useful contribution. Jemimah Rodrigues also registered a fifty, while Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma showed encouraging signs in the second match.
Despite promising starts, India's batting has struggled to finish strongly. The team lost momentum in the closing overs of both matches, exposing concerns in the middle order. Richa Ghosh, regarded as one of India's most explosive hitters, has yet to make a significant impact, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur may need to shoulder greater responsibility in the death overs.
England have faced similar issues with the bat. Amy Jones' 67 remains the only half-century by an English batter in the series, with several players getting starts but failing to convert them into substantial scores. Both teams will be eager to address those shortcomings in the series decider.
Danielle Gibson to Jemimah Rodrigues, At the stumps, on a good length. Rodrigues walks inside the line and glances it down to deep fine leg. They cross.
Bullseye by Ecclestone. India pushed for another reconstruction job, with two relatively new batters at the crease. In walks the skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur, at number 5.
Danielle Gibson to Yastika Bhatia, OUT! BHATIA IS RUN OUT! A laboured attempt at the single and Yastika pays the price. For the second time in this series, she has been run out. Across off, on a back of a length. Bhatia punches it on the up to the right of mid off. Sophie Ecclestone is swift to her right and picks the ball cleanly before having a shy at the bowling end. She scores a direct hit and Yastika is not even in the frame. End of a 24-run stand. India Women are now 60/3.
Danielle Gibson to Jemimah Rodrigues, Banged in short again, over middle. Rodrigues pulls it towards cow corner and crosses over.
Danielle Gibson to Jemimah Rodrigues, Angled in at the right-hander, into the surface, Rodrigues pulls it to the right of deep square leg for a couple of runs.
End of the Powerplay. A bit of something for both sides, truly. England would be pleased to have got both the Indian openers back in the hut, whereas the Indians have found a way to counterattack through Yastika Bhatia. Now then, as the field spreads, Danielle Gibson is into the attack.
- Yastika Bhatia 32 (17)
- Jemimah Rodrigues 3 (4)
Charlie Dean to Yastika Bhatia, FOUR! Absolutely bashed! Tossed up by Dean, a bit too full at the sticks. Bhatia clears her front leg and smacks it back past the bowler. The umpire does well to duck out of the firing line. Alice Capsey sprints to her left from long off and dives but in vain. A good finish to the Powerplay for India. After 6 overs, they are 57/2.
Charlie Dean to Yastika Bhatia, Shorter and outside off, Yastika chops it to point.
Charlie Dean to Yastika Bhatia, FOUR! Nicely done! Floated up, full and angled in, on middle and leg. Bhatia presses forward and with a still head, she thumps it over wide mid on for a boundary.
Charlie Dean to Yastika Bhatia, FOUR! Bhatia has somehow gotten this away. Darted in at the toes from around the wicket, Bhatia attempts the sweep but slips in the process. Gets a thin inside edge and it races past short fine leg.
Charlie Dean to Yastika Bhatia, Fires it in, full and on middle. This is hit firmly to mid on.
Charlie Dean to Yastika Bhatia, Missed out! Loopy ball, very full and down leg, Bhatia takes it on the full but picks out the short fine leg fielder with the sweep.
- Yastika Bhatia 20 (11)
- Jemimah Rodrigues 3 (4)
Sophie Ecclestone to Yastika Bhatia, Around off and middle, Bhatia presses in front and drills the full ball to long on for a single. 8 runs from Ecclestone's first over.
Sophie Ecclestone to Jemimah Rodrigues, Off break, full and on off, with a nice flight on offer. Jemimah Rodrigues lets the ball dip and then pins it wide of cover for a quick single.
Sophie Ecclestone to Jemimah Rodrigues, A bit too full, outside off, Jemimah eases it to backward point.
Sophie Ecclestone to Yastika Bhatia, Length ball, on middle, this is dragged down to long on for a single.
Sophie Ecclestone to Yastika Bhatia, FOUR! Sweetly timed! Pitched full and on off, from over the stump. Yastika Bhatia drops down to one knee and slog sweeps it to the left of mid-wicket for a boundary. Bhatia is looking in good nick.
Sophie Ecclestone to Jemimah Rodrigues, Dropped fuller from around the wicket. Around off and Jemimah Rodrigues leans on with a big stride. Pushes it through cover for a quick single.
More spin as Sophie Ecclestone comes on.
- Jemimah Rodrigues 1 (1)
- Yastika Bhatia 14 (8)
Charlie Dean to Jemimah Rodrigues, On a fuller length, on middle and leg. Jemimah Rodrigues works it wide of mid on for a single.
Jemimah Rodrigues makes her way out to bat. It was this pair that stitched a solid recovery in the series opener after losing both openers in the first over.
Charlie Dean to Smriti Mandhana, OUT! LBW! Dean comes up with a huge wicket and India lose both their openers inside the Powerplay. From around the stumps, this is pushed through on middle, full in length. Smriti Mandhana sits across to play the sweep shot, but fails to connect and is struck on the front pad. A massive, confident appeal and this time the finger goes up. Looks dead straight but Smriti Mandhana has opted to take the review. UltraEdge shows a clear gap as the ball passes below the inside edge. Ball Tracking comes up, and shows three reds with the ball projected to crash straight into the middle stump. Mandhana couldn't do much this evening and India Women also lose the review, being reduced to 36/2.
Charlie Dean to Smriti Mandhana, Drifting down leg, on a length. Smriti Mandhana gets inside the line to nudge it around the corner on the leg side, but the ball hits her front pad and rolls away. A slight appeal for LBW, but nothing doing.
Charlie Dean to Yastika Bhatia, Short and sliding onto the pads. Yastika Bhatia goes deep in the crease and pulls it to the left of deep mid-wicket for a run.
Charlie Dean to Yastika Bhatia, In front of the stumps, full, Bhatia pushes it back to Dean.
Charlie Dean to Yastika Bhatia, FOUR! Fantastic shot! Quicker on the leg stump, full in length. Yastika Bhatia uses her wrists to sweep it to the left of deep mid-wicket for a boundary.
With two left-handers at the crease, Charlie Dean brings herself on for her off-breaks.
- Yastika Bhatia 9 (5)
- Smriti Mandhana 8 (7)
Lauren Bell to Yastika Bhatia, Good-length, outside off, Yastika Bhatia comes a bit down the track and lifts it over cover-point for a single. An expensive over from Bell, 12 runs off it.
Lauren Bell to Yastika Bhatia, WIDE AGAIN! One more that is strayed way down leg, Yastika Bhatia again looks to pull but fails to connect.
Lauren Bell to Yastika Bhatia, WIDE! Loses her control again and spills it down leg, on a length. Bhatia misses the pull shot. Wide called.
Lauren Bell to Yastika Bhatia, FOUR! Much more in control this time around! Hits the deck hard, and offers a lot of width to the left-hander. Yastika Bhatia slaps it between the cover and point gap to pick up another boundary.
Lauren Bell to Yastika Bhatia, FOUR! Streaky. Hard length, angling outside off. Yastika Bhatia slashes hard at it, gets a bit of an outside edge but it runs towards deep third for a boundary. No chance for the fielder to cut it off as she is a bit square.
Lauren Bell to Yastika Bhatia, Full and outside off, Bhatia carves it to the left of cover.
Lauren Bell to Yastika Bhatia, Wide outside off, on a good length. Yastika Bhatia reaches out for it to cut it away, but misses.
Lauren Bell to Smriti Mandhana, Short of a good length on off. This is punched off the back foot to deep backward point for a single.
A low score for Shafali Verma. Yastika Bhatia walks in at number 3.
- Shafali Verma 11 (6)
- Smriti Mandhana 7 (6)
Linsey Smith to Shafali Verma, OUT! TAKEN! Linsey Smith dismisses the destructive Shafali and the hosts have their first breakthrough already. Pitched full and around the off stump. Shafali Verma does not move her feet at all and tries to loft it over covers, perhaps, but slices it up towards backward point where Charlie Dean takes a fine catch, sliding to her right. India Women are 19/1.
Linsey Smith to Shafali Verma, FOUR! PUNISHED! Seeing Verma shuffling outside leg, Smith tries to cramp her for room by following her. Goes short and it slides in with the drift. Shafali Verma has enough time to comfortably pull it behind square leg for a boundary.
Linsey Smith to Smriti Mandhana, Keeps it stump-to-stump, on a fuller length. Mandhana gets a bit across and flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a run.
Linsey Smith to Smriti Mandhana, Around off and full, Mandhana forces it back to the bowler.
Linsey Smith to Smriti Mandhana, FOUR! Just up and over! Full and drifting on middle and leg. Smriti Mandhana uses her feet and lofts it over Lauren Bell at mid on for her first boundary.
Linsey Smith to Smriti Mandhana, Over the stump, full and on middle, on a lower trajectory. Smriti Mandhana blocks it back to Smith.
It will be spin from the other end in the form of Linsey Smith. Rewarded for her performances against New Zealand and her impressive showing so far in this series against India, Smith has climbed to the top of the ICC T20I bowling rankings.
- Shafali Verma 7 (4)
- Smriti Mandhana 2 (2)
Lauren Bell to Shafali Verma, Good piece of running! Length-delivery, a bit too straight on the pads. Shafali Verma hangs back and steers it to deep backward square leg for a couple of runs. 10 runs off the first over. Decent start for the visitors.
Lauren Bell to Shafali Verma, Bangs it short, an effort ball from Bell, outside off. Verma looks to ramp it over the slips, but misses out. A bit too close to play that shot.
Lauren Bell to Shafali Verma, WIDE! Misses her radar completely and sprays it far down leg, Verma lets it go.
Lauren Bell to Shafali Verma, FOUR! Fine shot! Outside off, on a good length. Shafali Verma stays put, lets the ball come at her and opens the bat face at the final second. Manages to pierce the gap between first slip and short third for the first boundary of the game.
Lauren Bell to Smriti Mandhana, In the air... lands safely! Back of a length, around off, Smriti Mandhana plays off the back foot and tries to swat it downtown, but gets nowhere near the middle of the bat. Toe ends it and just clears mid on for a single.
Lauren Bell to Shafali Verma, A little bit of an inward curve, full on middle. Shafali Verma slices it off the outer half of the bat through point for an easy single.
Lauren Bell to Smriti Mandhana, Off the mark straightaway! Not that full but wide outside off. Mandhana reaches out and slaps it wide of cover-point for a single to open her account.
For India, the England tour is more than just a bilateral assignment. It serves as a crucial rehearsal for the global tournament, allowing the team management to assess combinations and player roles in conditions similar to those expected during the World Cup.
While there have been encouraging signs from the top order, India's batting has lacked consistency in the latter stages of innings. Yastika Bhatia has emerged as the standout performer, scoring a half-century in the first match and backing it up with another useful knock in the second. Jemimah Rodrigues also impressed with a fifty, while Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma looked in good touch during the chase in the previous game.
However, India's inability to finish strongly remains a concern. In the opening match, the team managed only 40 runs in the final five overs despite being well placed earlier in the innings. The second game saw an even bigger collapse, as India stumbled dramatically in the closing stages of a chase after reaching a comfortable position.
As a result, the spotlight will be on experienced all-rounder Deepti Sharma and wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh. India need the pair to provide stability and acceleration in the middle overs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, one of the team's most powerful hitters, may also need to bat deeper and guide the innings through to the finish.
England, meanwhile, have their own batting concerns. Amy Jones' 67 is the only fifty scored by an English batter in the series so far. Although several players have made starts, none have been able to produce a match-defining innings. With both sides searching for batting consistency, the final T20I promises to be a closely contested encounter with World Cup implications.
Match Statistics
Venue
The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
