At the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol | IND 181-4 (20.0), ENG 157/7 (20.0) India wins by 24 runs
India inflicted another difficult lesson on Nat Sciver-Brunt and her England side as the guests won the second of five Vitality T20 International matches in Bristol, putting them in a prime position to win the series.
What’s telling is that in the first of those games on Saturday, tonight’s danger pair scored zero and three runs. Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur operated on the same wavelength as they navigated India out of early trouble and to a competitive total — with the pair both scoring 63, off 41 and 40 balls respectively, having been put into bat by England.
“The credit goes to Jemimah only,” Amanjot said after the game. “The wicket was quite damp and slow compared to Nottingham [the series opener, which India won by 97 runs] so we had a plan, let it come to the middle of the wicket, hit it all over and we did that very well.“
Amanjot’s shrewd innings matched Rodrigues’ stylistic range – and ability to drive a team – which would have contributed in no small part to her being the only Indian selected in the Women’s Big Bash League draft two weeks ago. It was was certainly reflected in her choice of slog sweeps and audacious ramp shots tonight, as she made India favourites by the innings break.
Em Arlott and Lauren Filer would have gritted their teeth at some of the lengths bowled to the 24-year-old — with several bouncing far too generously on fuller deliveries to stop a batter who can single-handedly win their side a match.
India’s final score, however, fails to reflect a sluggish powerplay — one that England will now rue; it brought the loss of 35 runs and the key wickets of Smriti Mandhana, the centurion at Trent Bridge, Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur, who came back into the side. India were at one point 31-3, and were it for the partnership that followed, India may have posted a meagre total somewhere near the 120s.
That 93-run pairing from Amanjot Kaur and Rodrigues steered the visitors out of early trouble and into command of the match, that they never really squandered from that point. By the time Lauren Bell – the pick of the England bowlers – had stopped the Rodrigues flow through a handy grab from Sophia Dunkley, the foundations were firmly in place for Richa Ghosh to add the finishing touches – her 57-run partnership with Amanjot sufficient to hand India a total that made them favourites.
India struck early in defending their total. Sophia Dunkley swiped sheepishly at Arundhati Reddy to cover, but was left in the lurch as Danni Wyatt-Hodge sent her back. Deepti Sharma was most alert, firing the ball back into Ghosh’s gloves, who sent the illuminating bails flying with equal vigour.
Perhaps the mix-up played on Wyatt-Hodge’s mind, as deja vu followed. Just as she faced up to Sharma’s plucky off-spin, on the very next ball, she played late and holed out to Harmanpreet Kaur. Sharma now had Wyatt-Hodge on her first ball twice in as many matches, which the England opener will have to erase from her mind if she is to deliver in the third match at the Oval on Friday.
Beaumont, who shelled Ghosh in the second innings, knew it was time to deliver. But when Amanjot banged it in a little fuller, catching the bounce of a dry wicket, Sciver-Brunt was caught – not just physically at mid-on, but metaphorically by the skid off the wicket. By the time the skipper slumped off, India were in command and showed little signs of slowing down.
Tammy Beaumont, who scored two centuries in England’s comfortable series win over the West Indies, posted a respectable 54 this time, and her spell of boundaries just before the 10th over was the only time her side looked back in the game.
Shree Charani moved in to dismiss Amy Jones with a catch off her own bowling, which sealed the game for Harmanpreet Kaur’s side, now just one away from potentially taking the series at the first opportunity. Sophie Ecclestone may ask the question to bat higher up the order, her knock of 35 giving the (outsung) England support something to cheer, ending with a run-out on the last ball.
The Charlotte Edwards era started in fine fettle with six consecutive victories over the West Indies, but the two first matches of this series have given her thinking to do with the top-order struggling to inflict serious damage in the first two of this series. Where Mandhana and Deol couldn’t deliver in Bristol, the latter not even being selected, Rodrigues and Amanjot stepped in to recover the innings.
“Compared to the last game, there were certainly signs of fight from the team, and and I think at times we were really in the game,” commented Beaumont.
“Credit to India, they’ve got really good batting depth. Rodrigues and Kaur batted brilliant and put the pressure on us,” she added. She and captain Sciver-Brunt will be that the guests will have little intention of letting that pressure off, but she remained upbeat.
“We wanted challenge coming into this series. We’re not going to shy away from it, we’re going to keep getting better, and hopefully the outcome takes care of itself.”
The Vitality T20 Series will continue at the Kia Oval on Friday, July 4. India lead the series 2-0
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