India Defeat 130 for 5 (Mandana 48, Rodriguez 29, Kemp 2-24) England 126 (Knight 52, Patil 3-19, Ishaq 3-22) by five wickets
India’s new spin duo of Sreyanka Patil and Saika Ishaq and an improved batting performance led to a consolation victory in the third and final T20 against England at the Wankhede Stadium.
Things went wrong compounded as India fell 2-0 down in the series as Renuka Singh found support with the ball.Despite Shabali Verma’s second defeat in as many matches following her half-century in the series opener, India put together a key batting partnership of 57 with Smriti Mandana and Jemima Rodriguez, a modest Helped to achieve the goal. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur delayed his entry after appearing to twist his leg while fielding – he was the no. Came in at 5 – he marshaled the rest of the chase to reach victory in one over with Amanjot Kaur.
Patil and Ishaq ran through England’s middle order thanks to good early work from Renuka as the visitors lost 5 for 9 from 21 balls, losing 3 wickets from 67 and Heather Knight’s half-century from 76. innings. Knight, England’s captain, provided his side’s only resistance, hitting the ground as most of his countrymen perished sweeping or cutting. Double sixes over long-on in three Amanjot balls brought him past his fifty in the final over of the nighty innings as he departed on the final ball, Mahika Kaur gave Amanjot two wickets and Deepti Sharma was caught at cover. England were all out for 126 runs.
With India needing 11 runs from the last two overs, Sophie Ecclestone tried to paddle Richa Ghosh’s bowling to put India back under pressure, but Amanjot, who replaced Pooja Vastragar, drilled the covers for the next four balls to ease the tension. A reverse sweep took her to an unbeaten 13 off four balls before leveling four scores and India winning.
New faces shine for India
Both Patil and Ishaq, who made their T20 debut in the first match of the series, were instrumental in England’s defeat. The 21-year-old off-spinner Patil removed Amy Jones at deep midwicket for 25 off 21 balls to give Ishaq his second wicket, which set the rot for England. Left-arm spinner Ishaq, the joint-third-highest wicket-taker in the opening WPL, had already had Alice Capsey at extra cover by Rodrigues, who then tried to duck-cut Daniel Gibson.
Bess Heath, making his T20I debut in England with changes, did little better, with a reverse sweep to Patil for the first time to find Amanjot behind. Patil then bowled Kemp lbw and Ecclestone bowled a cut and sweep respectively. Both Indian spinners overcame nervous debuts, with Patil taking 2 for 44 from his four overs in the first match and Ishaq 1 for 38, bolstering India’s confidence in a rejuvenated side.
Renuka is playing a powerplay role
As in the first two matches, Renuka struck early, dismissing both England openers within the first three overs. On this occasion, Danny Wyatt, who scored 75 in the opening match, gave way to Mia Bouchier in this dead rubber, and Renuka scored on the third ball of the match. , bowled her through the gate.
Renuka, for the third time in as many matches, bowled Sophia Dunkley outside the off-stump with a ball that needed to be hit, but she couldn’t clear Patil as she trailed. Dunkley’s 11 was his highest in the series and came amid a lean stretch in the Ashes series midway through the year, where he scored only one half-century – in the first T20I – and one run. WBBL last month. However, unlike the opening two games, Renuka’s good work received ample support in the form of Patil and Ishaq.
Mandana, according to Rodriguez
159 for 6 in search of 198, where Shafali lacked the support of his teammates and an 80 all-out raised worrisome questions about India’s batting ahead of this match. But Mandana and Rodriguez stepped up when needed. Mandana’s run-a-ball 48 included two brilliant sixes and five fours over deep midwicket and long-off, while Rodriguez excelled in a 33-ball 29-run sweep.
Offspinner Charlie Dean completely broke their stand and it grazed Rodriguez’s back thigh as she knelt down to sweep, unable to save her as her tracking showed the ball on target. Soon after, Mandana too fell agonizingly short of his half-century as he swung from Eccleston to Dunkley. But the Indian duo set up their side and went some way to answering those batting questions, while Amanjot’s cameo gave his side a boost.
England, meanwhile, were rested from the tournament, Nat Skiver-Friend, who was adjudged Man of the Series for 93 runs and 2 wickets, his 77 in the opener’s 138 with Wyatt. Sarah Glenn, who was not included in England’s Test squad starting on Thursday, missed the second T20I with a fractured thumb.
