England women beat India, win series 3-2
The England women’s cricket team beat its Indian counterparts by six wickets (D-L method) in the rain-affected fifth and final One-Day International at Wormsly on Wednesday. The win meant England came back from a 0-2 deficit to eventually clinch the series 3-2.
The England women's cricket team beat its Indian counterparts by six wickets (D-L method) in the rain-affected fifth and final One-Day International at Wormsly on Wednesday. The win meant England came back from a 0-2 deficit to eventually clinch the series 3-2.
India, who were sent in under overcast conditions, huffed and puffed their way to 152 for eight in 50 overs, with Harmanpreet Kaur top-scoring with 40.
Katherine Brunt and Georgia Elwiss, the new ball pair for England, put pressure on India right at the outset by dismissing the opening duo of Poonam Raut (0) and Sulakshana Naik (1) with just three runs on the board. Mithali Raj, the Indian skipper, fell soon after for one as the score read 2 for 3 in the sixth over.
Elwiss, who picked up Raut and Raj, had her third when Veda Krishnamurthy was bowled for nine to throw India into disarray. The rescue act was carried out by Harmanpreet Kaur and Gouher Sultana, who stitched together a vital 41-run-stand for the fifth wicket, although at snail's pace.
After Sultana's dismissal, Kaur found good company in Reema Malhotra, the No. 7 batsman, to up the scoring rate. Kaur, the highest scorer for India, hit 40, including two boundaries.
Malhotra's unbeaten cameo of 36 runs with contributions from the tailenders in Amita Sharma (19) and Jhulan Goswami (14), helped India play out the 50 overs.
Elwiss was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3 for 17 in ten overs, while Brunt picked up two wickets.
In reply, England, despite losing the early wicket of Charlotte Edwards (7), looked untroubled. Tammy Beaumont and Sarah Taylor set the platform with 19 and 21 respectively, before Lydia Greenway's unbeaten 37 took them to the doorstep of victory with 29 runs needed off 14 overs.
However, the heavens opened up as England, then on 124 for four after 36 overs, were eventually declared winners on the Duckworth-Lewis method by 29 runs to win the series.
Jhulan Goswami, Nagarajan Niranjana and Amita Sharma picked up a wicket each, but didn't look threatening enough to bowl England out at any stage.
The tour thus concluded on a bad note for the Indian women, who lost the two Twenty20 Internationals by 33 runs and eight wickets respectively, before going down 2-3 in the five-match ODI series.