England bounced back strongly in the second Women’s ODI, easing past India by eight wickets in a rain-affected clash at Lord’s on Saturday. Opener Amy Jones led the way with an unbeaten 46, helping the hosts chase down a revised target of 115 with ease to level the three-match series 1-1.
After India’s dominant chase of 259 in the first ODI, their batting faltered in the second as they posted a modest 143/8 in the 29-overs-a-side contest. Smriti Mandhana top-scored with 42, but found little support from the rest of the batting lineup.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!England’s chase began smoothly, with Jones and Tammy Beaumont (34 off 35) adding 54 for the opening stand. Off-spinner Sneh Rana broke the partnership by trapping Beaumont lbw with a reverse sweep gone wrong. Jones then combined with skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt (21) to take the hosts within 42 runs of victory before rain interrupted play.
When action resumed, England’s revised DLS target was 115 in 24 overs. Though Kranti Gaud bowled a peach to dismiss Sciver-Brunt, the result was never in doubt. Sophie Dunkley sealed the win with a boundary in the 21st over, completing a dominant performance from the home side.
A minimum of 20 overs was required for a result, and the Lord’s ground staff worked swiftly to ensure enough overs were bowled for DLS to come into play—ensuring the match didn’t end in a no-result.
Earlier, India never got going with the bat. After losing debutant opener Pratika Rawal in the second over to Em Arlott (2/26), Mandhana and Harleen Deol (16) added 40 for the second wicket to steady the innings.
However, Deol’s dismissal—caught and bowled by Sophie Ecclestone—triggered a collapse. The left-arm spinner was once again England’s standout, claiming 3/27 as India lost four wickets for just 26 runs in the middle phase. Mandhana, who had earlier been dropped on two, was eventually dismissed for 42, chipping Linsey Smith (2/28) to Charlie Dean inside the circle.
At 98/6, India were staring at a sub-120 total, but Deepti Sharma (30*) and Arundhati Reddy (14) added 26 crucial runs for the seventh wicket to give the score some respectability. However, Reddy’s dismissal ended that resistance, and India fell well short of a par score.
The third and final ODI will now be played in Durham on July 22, with everything to play for.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less
Start a Conversation
Post comment