Indian eves suffer a 10-wicket mauling against England

Taunton:

India eves began their World Twenty20 campaign on a dismal note after hosts England spanked them by ten wickets in their Pool B match here on Thursday.

England were clinical as they first restricted India to meagre 112 and then overhauled the target with 4.2 overs to spare at County ground.

The hosts openers Charlotte Edwards (61) and Sarah Taylor (50) smashed scintillating unbeaten half-centuries to lead the 50-over World Cup winners to a comprehensive win.

Mithali Raj (24) and Sulakashna Naik (24) had earlier saved India from blushes and it was because of them that India crawled past the 100-run mark after deciding to bat.

Taylor and Edwards began cautiously and gave England a decent if not spectacular start. The duo batted with such ease that India never harboured hopes of a turnaround. India skipper Jhulan Goswami used as many as four bowlers in the first seven overs but the effort did not yield any success.

Once both the batswomen got their eye in they punished the Indian bowlers severely and clobbered them all around the park.

Taylor's 41-ball knock included seven boundaries while Edwards' 53-ball innings was studded with six fours and two sixes.

Earlier, left-arm spinner Holly Colvin's (3/20) early burst unsettled the Indians so much that had to settle for a paltry 112.

In total, just seven boundaries were hit in the entire Indian innings. Mithali and Sulakashna posed some resistance and gave Indian bowlers something on the board to fight for.

Nicky Shaw began the rot by sending back Latika Kumari (4) and the Indians never recovered from that early jolt.

Colvin then sent the shock waves in the Indian camp by dismissing Anjum Chopra (17) and Rumeli Dhar (5).

India were tottering at 44 for three when pacer Laura Marsh returned for her second spell to add to the misery of the hapless Indians.

Soon Amita Sharma (1), a vital cog in the Indian scheme, found her timbers disturbed as Marsh unleashed her furious pace.

Former skipper Mithali Raj was keeping one end intact, picking up a run here and there and hitting the odd boundary.

Colvin struck again to rattle the Indians when Priyanka Roy holed out to Marsh. It was not until Sulakshana Naik came to the crease that the Indian fans saw some firework.

The stumper-batswoman took the English bowlers on, hitting them for some good boundaries apart from running hard between the wickets to take India near 100-run mark.

Naik and Mithali added 35 runs for the sixth wicket to steady the rocking ship before tweaker Charlotte Edwards broke the stand by dismissing Mithali.

Naik's knock met with a tragic end when she ran herself out at the fag end of the Indian innings.