ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023, IND vs ENG: India must up the ante against England
ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2023: India will be up against England in its third Group B match on Saturday. Although the Indians have managed to emerge victorious in the opening two games, they would need to up the ante against the English.
FollowAfter being put under pressure in its previous two games, India will have no room for error when it takes on a formidable England in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup at St George's Park in Gqeberha on Friday. A win against world number two England on Friday will take the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side effectively into the knock-out stage, to have competed among the top two teams from Group 1 and 2.
The Indians beat arch-rivals Pakistan by seven wickets before notching a more convincing six-wicket win against the Windies earlier this week. While the twin wins put India in a solid position to qualify for the semi-finals, it was hard-hitting teenager Richa Ghosh's brilliance which pulled the 'Women in Blue' over the line on both occasions.
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Against England, the top-order will have to give a better account of themselves. ICC U-19 T20 World Cup-winning captain Shafali Verma has been unable to convert her starts in the tournament so far, giving away her wicket at crucial junctures. After nursing a finger injury, Smriti Mandhana looked imperious as she timed the ball to perfection but couldn't go the distance.
Jemimah Rodrigues will seek some consistency, while skipper Kaur has also looked in good touch and has made valuable contributions though she has not scored big so far, with 33 being her highest. They will have to navigate England's spin trio of Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn.
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While the bowling department put up a much-improved show against the Windies, the Indian bowlers will have to bowl out of their skin against England, who have the likes of teenager Alice Capsey, who will head into the match high on confidence after notching the joint-fastest fifty in Women's T20WC history.
Pooja Vastrakar has been impressive, sharing the new ball duties with Renuka Singh, while the ever-reliable Deepti Sharma bowled showcased good death bowling against the Windies. The fielding, too, has been patchy, with misfields and dropped catches marring some stellar displays. India must find a way to avoid the sloppiness against England, which is bound to punish any mistakes.
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On the other hand, firm title contenders England, like India, are also unbeaten after two games and are best placed to qualify for the semi-finals. On the same points as India (+0.590), Heather Knight and Co. lead the group owing to a superior net run rate of +2.497. The mix of youth and experience is doing the trick for the former champions, with Capsey and Lauren Bell supporting the expertise of Knight, Nat and Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Danni Wyatt.
Squad
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Richa Ghosh (wk), Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Devika Vaidya, Radha Yadav, Renuka Thakur, Anjali Sarvani, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Shikha Pandey.
England: Heather Knight (c), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones (wk), Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Lauren Winfield-Hill (wk) and Danni Wyatt.
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Match details
Date and day: February 18, 2023 (Saturday)
Venue: St George's Park, Gqeberha
Time: 6.30 PM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1 and other Star Sports regional language channels - Also available in HD
Where to watch (Online): Hotstar
(With inputs from PTI)
