Highlights
- India will play against England in three T20I matches
- England have won the first match and currently lead the series by 1-0
ENG-W vs IND-W, 2nd T20I: The Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian team is currently basking in the glory of their Commonwealth Games 2022 campaign. The women in blue were simply outstanding in their campaign and they missed the gold medal just by a whisker. As of now the women in Blue are currently stationed in the United Kingdom and are all set to play three T20Is and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs). India had a pretty dismal outing in the first T20I as they lost to Amy Jones-led English side by a margin of 9 wickets.
But more than the match, it was Harmanpreet Kaur's statement that did the rounds. The Indian skipper who has always been very vocal about her opinions said that the playing conditions weren't 100 percent as the ground was too wet to play. Kaur did not sound very happy and further stated that they forcefully played as these conditions can be very risky for players and can cause major injuries. Harmanpreet also said that one of her players was injured and she was short on a bowler which made matters worse for the visitors.
India somehow registered a total of 132 in 20 overs and England chased it down very comfortably with 9 wickets in hands and 7 overs to spare. Come to the second ODI, India will have to be very wary of the challenges that the hosts have in store for them. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian team heads into this encounter with the series on line. If they end up losing the match, England women will have gained an unassailable lead of 2-0. But to keep the series alive, India will have to play out of their skin and force a series decider.
The Indian team in particular will have high hopes from openers Smriti Madhana and Shafali Verma. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur too will have to get some runs under her belt and lead her team from the front. India's rising star Renuka Singh will have to ensure that she inflicts early blows on England and restrains them from getting off to a flyer. The Indian women's team have a high-pressure game to play and it will be interesting to see their approach against a dominant English side.
Squads:
India Women: Smiriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Hemalatha, Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh, Kiran Navgire, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Sneh Rana, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh
England Women: Sophia Dunkley, Danielle Wyatt, Alice Capsey, Amy Jones, Maia Boucher, Bryony Smith, Sophie Ecclestone, Freya Kemp, Sarah Glenn, Freya Davies, Lauren Bell
