MUMBAI: India were provided a rude reality check by a superior England, which downed them by 38 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match women's T20I series at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday night.
Jolted by a twin strike in the first over by seamer Renuka Thakur, England rode on superb half-centuries by the old firm of Nat Sciver-Brunt (77, 53b, 13x4) and Danni Wyatt (75, 47b, 8x4, 2x6) and the duo's magnificent 137-run partnership for the third wicket in just 87 balls to put an imposing score of 197 for six.
1/10:1st T20I: England beat India by 38 runs
PTI
2/10:India vs England
<p>India were provided a rude reality check by England, which downed them by 38 runs in the first T20I at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. </p>PTI
3/10:Renuka Thakur
<p>Jolted by a twin strike in the first over by seamer Renuka Thakur, England rode on the 137-run stand between Nat Sciver-Brunt (77) and Danni Wyatt (75) to put 197/6. </p>TNN
4/10:Renuka's double strike
<p>Renuka ripped apart England's top-order when she knocked off the stumps of Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey off the fourth and fifth deliveries of the match. </p>ANI
5/10:Match-winning stand
<p>Sciver-Brunt, in the company of Wyatt punished India's listless bowling, with Renuka Thakur (3-27 in four overs), being the sole exception. </p>PTI
6/10:The counter-attack
<p>Both Sciver-Brunt and Wyatt used the crease brilliantly, to launch a blistering counter-attack on India's largely inexperienced bowling. </p>TNN
7/10:Pooja Vastrakar
<p>To make matters worse for India, Pooja Vastrakar grassed a sitter that Wyatt offered at long-on off Shreyanka in the 12th over. </p>PTI
8/10:Shreyanka Patil
<p>England lost four wickets in the final five overs, but 'keeper-bat Amy Jones (23) struck two fours and a six off the last over of the innings by debutant Shreyanka Patil. </p>PTI
9/10:Sophie Ecclestone
<p>Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone (3/15) dismissed Shafali Varma (52) and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (26) to snuff the life out of hosts' chase. </p>PTI
10/10:Smriti Mandhana
<p>Sciver-Brunt also took the wicket of Smriti Mandhana (6) in the third over with one that moved in, as the batter tried to smash the ball out of the park. </p>PTIIt was then the turn of classy left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone (three for 15 in four overs) to do the star turn, as she took the key wickets of India's top run-getter Shafali Varma (52, 42b, 9x4) and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (26, 21b, 3x4, 1x6) to snuff the life out of hosts' chase.
Following up on her heroics with the bat, Sciver-Brunt also took the important wicket of Smriti Mandhana (6) in the third over with one that moved in, as the batter tried to smash the ball out of the park.
Finishing well short of England's total at 159 for six in 20 overs much to the disappointment of a 12,000-strong crowd, the Indian women's team has given plenty to ponder for their new coach Amol Muzumdar, who took over the reins just before this series. Between them, Sciver-Brunt and Wyatt have a combined wealth of experience and class in 100-plus WT20Is and 2,000-plus runs each, and the pair put on a masterclass on how to take apart a fielding side.
England lost four wickets in the final five overs, but still man four as 'keeper-bat Amy Jones (23, 9b, 3x4, 1x6) struck some lusty blows, taking two fours and a six off the last over of the innings by debutant off-spinner Shreyanka Patil. To make matters worse for India, Pooja Vastrakar, who had a horrible outing with the ball (0-44 in four overs), grassed a sitter that Wyatt offered at long-on off Shreyanka in the 12th over.
Returning after missing the Bangladesh tour and the Asian Games due to a back injury, Renuka, ripped apart England's top order to provide India with a perfect start when she knocked off the stumps of Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey off the fourth and fifth deliveries of the match.
However, showing the kind of form that saw her notch up 332 runs at a strike rate of 140.08 in WPL in the Mumbai Indians' winning campaign, Sciver-Brunt, in the company of Wyatt, who had smashed 164 off just 64 balls against India in 2018 at the nearby Brabourne Stadium, punished India's listless bowling --Thakur (3-27 in four overs) being the sole exception. Both Sciver-Brunt and Wyatt used the crease brilliantly, moving around the stumps swiftly to launch a blistering counterattack on India's largely inexperienced bowling, that had two debutant spinners in left-armer Saika Ishaque and Patil.
Both Saika (1-38 in four overs) and Patil (2-44 in four overs) did well to bounce back with a few wickets, but were a tad too expensive. The big disappointments in India's bowling were the experienced duo of Vastrakar and offspinner Deepti Sharma (0-28 in three overs).
At 140 for two in 15 overs, England looked poised for the final assault, before Saika, who conceded 34 off her first three overs without a wicket, bounced back well when she had Wyatt stumped off the first ball of the 16th over.
As if picking up a cue from that, Patil, who too had struggled till then, took out England skipper Heather Knight's off-stump with a straight delivery, the batter playing down the wrong line. India continued to take wickets as 'keeper Richa Ghosh pouched a superb diving catch to send back Sciver-Brunt off Thakur, but England kept punching back.
