India women clinch 3rd T20I with Mandhana's heroic knock, England wins series 2-1

By Ovaise Shariff | First Published Dec 10, 2023, 11:53 PM IST

In a gripping encounter, India Women secured a five-wicket victory against England in the 3rd T20I. Smriti Mandhana's resilient 48-run contribution played a pivotal role in the chase.

In the pursuit of a 128-run target, India faced an early setback as Shafali Verma fell victim to Freya Kemp in the third over. A resilient partnership of 57 runs between Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues alleviated the pressure, guiding the team through a thoughtful approach against the English bowlers, occasionally punctuated with boundaries. Although Deepti Sharma managed two boundaries, her stint was short-lived. Mandhana emerged as a significant contributor to the chase, scoring 48 runs off an equal number of balls. The batting conditions posed challenges, and a couple of late wickets added excitement to the contest.

The class of Smriti Mandhana is just extraordinary 🫡pic.twitter.com/wwtLNSP7hq

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)

In the 19th over, just as Richa Ghosh departed, Amanjot Kaur stepped in and beautifully crafted two boundaries amid singles from Harmanpreet, steering the team across the finish line.

Tap to resize

Latest Videos

Tap to resize

In the initial phase, England captain Heather Knight chose to bowl first after winning the coin toss. Renuka Singh Thakur provided an early breakthrough in the first over by dismissing Maia Bouchier.

Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey attempted to stabilize the innings, but their efforts were cut short. Renuka removed Dunkley in the third over, followed by Capsey falling to Saika Ishaque in the first ball of her spell.

Heather Knight and Amy Jones displayed a positive approach, accumulating 41 runs for the fourth-wicket partnership. The momentum was disrupted when Ishaque returned, claiming two wickets in consecutive balls. Shreyanka Patil joined the bowling attack, contributing to the chaos and reducing England to 76-8. Despite the challenge, Knight fought valiantly, securing a fifty and propelling England Women to a total of 127 runs in the end.

Also Read: Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, and Nicholas Pooran reject central contracts offered by cricket West Indies

For more reliable and latest news