With the big names failing, it was the youngsters who stepped up as India sailed to a crucial 24-run win in the second T20I in Bristol.
Already 0–2 down in the series, the hosts have an uphill task ahead of them. For the third T20I, here are our preview and predictions.
India Women’s tour of England 2025 | 3rd T20I | 23:05 IST, July 4
After being put into bat, India found themselves in a big spot of bother early on in Bristol, as England looked like they would remain undefeated at the venue.
After losing their openers and their returning captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, inside six overs, India were reeling at 31/3 before youngsters Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur came to the rescue. Kaur and Rodrigues were cautious initially, seeing off a nervy period before rebuilding the innings. Their partnership, along with some late fireworks from Richa Ghosh, saw India put up a respectable 181/4.
With the ball, India were on the money and sharp in the field right from the get-go. A run-out in the opening over, followed by the dismissals of Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Nat Sciver-Brunt in the space of two overs, kept England behind in the chase. A clinical performance with the ball saw young Shree Charani shine again as India restricted the hosts to 157/7.
For England, Lauren Bell was the standout bowler once again, while everyone else went at almost ten runs an over or more. England know they had the game in the bag early on but weren’t able to capitalise on a strong start with the ball — something they will want to rectify.
With the bat, they were a mess. Barring a fighting 54 from Tammy Beaumont and some lower-order runs from Amy Jones and Sophie Ecclestone, they had a horrid time, once again unable to score freely against spinners and losing a T20I in Bristol for the first time.
Moving to The Oval, England not only have to win to keep themselves alive in the series, but also need their experienced batters to step up. This venue has been a happy hunting ground for bowlers, which means it will once again come down to which side bats better. Given the current form of the two teams, we back Harmanpreet Kaur & Co to take the win and seal the series.
Fantasy XI: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Tammy Beaumont, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Emily Arlott, Shree Charani, Arundhati Reddy, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Bell
Venue: The Oval, London
Winners Prediction: India
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