Indian batting looked clueless and out of depth to be dismissed for their third lowest total as England notched up a four-wicket loss in the second women’s T20I to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series in Mumbai on Saturday. On a day uncapped Indian cricketers won fat pay-cheques in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) auction, Shafali Verma (0), Smriti Mandhana (10), skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (9), Deepti Sharma (0) cut a sorry figure as India were shot out for 80 in 16.2 overs.
In reply, England cantered home in 11.2 overs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The final T20I is slated on Sunday.
In defence of their paltry 80, India had a horror start with a wayward Renuka Singh leaking eight runs in four wide deliveries.
Sophia Dunkley then took the attack on inexperienced Bengal seamer Titas Sidhu with two boundaries as England raced to 17 runs in first two overs.
Renuka returned to take two wickets — Sophia (9) and Danni Wyatt (0) — but with no scoreboard pressure Alice Capsey (25; 21b) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (16; 13b) seized the momentum with their counter-attacking display to take them past 50-run mark inside seven overs.
But the duo failed to take the team home as India managed to take two wickets with seven runs needed.
Deepti sharma took two in as many deliveries — Amy Jones and Freya Kemp — but it didn’t matter as Sophie Ecclestone (9) clinched the series with a four.
Their match aggregate of 162 runs was also the lowest involving the two teams.
For India, Jemimah Rodrigues was the lone bright spot with a 33-ball 30, and one of the two batters to get into double digit scores, in a bizarre display by the Indian batters.
That all their top-four batters got out LBW showed their lack of application on a batting-friendly wicket at the Wankhede stadium.
This was India’s third lowest total in women’s T20I behind 62 (vs Australia, 2011) and 70 (vs South Africa, 2019).
Batting at No 3, Jemimah saw wickets falling around her as she had no option but to accelerate.
She looked in fine touch, hitting back-to-back boundaries with some crisp sweep shots but only to be dismissed in the same over with Sarah Glenn trapping her LBW.
It was a clinical display by England as all their six bowlers returned with at least one wicket.
Charlie Dean (4-0-16-2), Lauren Bell (3-0-18-2), Sophie Ecclestone (3.2-0-13-2) and Sarah Glenn (3-1-13-2) bagged two wickets each.
Ecclestone, who took a stunning left-handed return catch to dismiss Richa Ghosh (4), gave the final blow when she pushed one through Saika Ishaque‘s defence to bring curtains on Indian innings.
This was the third lowest target set by India against England.
Opting to bowl, Heather Knight straightway started off with spin as Charlotte Dean inflicted a double blow in successive overs (2-0-4-2) to give England a perfect start.
The off-spinner fired a straighter one in and Shafali looked to work it towards leg but completely missed and was trapped in front to be dismissed for a two-ball duck.
Going with a change of ends, Dean this time dismissed Smriti Mandhana (10) LBW after being hit on her back pad.
Harmanpreet looked to attack and paddled away Sciver-Brunt for successive fours but the England seamer had the last laugh and had the Indian skipper plumb with a delivery that jagged back in.
Sophie then pulled off an absolute blinder of a return catch to dismiss Richa Ghosh for four as India found themselves in deep trouble with half of their side back in pavillion for 37.
One-up in the three-match series, England need a win to seal the series.
India lost by 38 runs in the first T20I.
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