Right on cue, Raf’s report is in.
It doesn’t pull any punches. And why should it? That was a chastening defeat for England.
But it also rightly sings the praises of the Indians were magnificent.
Don’t take my word for it, read it here:
Thanks for keeping me company. Til next time…
While we wait for Raf’s report, get a load of these stats.
They come from the brilliant X account ‘hypocaust’:
Biggest win by runs in a T20I against England women:
97 IND at Trent Bridge today
93 AUS at Chelmsford, 2019
72 AUS at Adelaide, 2025
57 AUS at Sydney, 2025
57 AUS at Brabourne, 2018
Best figures by an Indian woman on T20I debut:
4-9 Sravanthi Naidu v BAN, 2014
4-12 Shree Charani v ENG, today
3-21 Poonam Yadav v BAN, 2013
3-23 Soniya Dabir v ENG, 2010
Now for the player of the match, who wins a very big bottle of wine.
No prizes for guessing it’s Smriti Mandhana for scoring her first hundred in international cricket:
It was a long time coming. I had this habit of going out in the 70s and 80s. It was high time I scored a century and I’m so glad it came in this first match.
We had good prep. England wickets are really good to bat on. If you keep the wind factor in mind you just have to time the ball.
The way Harleen [Deol] got going was amazing. She made it so easy for me to keep batting.
We discussed that after the first innings, of course it is a good wicket, but if they’re hitting against the wind we kept the pace off the ball. The bowlers, the way they executed the plans, was amazing to watch.
Really happy. But it’s just the start. We have four more matches.
Sciver-Brunt is the first to speak:
India are a world class side and challenged us throughout. We didn’t bowl as well as we wanted to.
You’d like to take every catch but it didn’t go our way that innings. Something to work on for next time.
When you’re chasing 200 you have to keep going. Losing wickets [held us back]. We maybe looked to play too square.
I was trying to get on strike and come back for twos and keep hitting boundaries. That was the only way we were going to win.
We executed well and gained energy towards the back end of the [bowling] innings. We look forward to coming back in Bristol.
There were still five overs and one ball remaining. India have simply destroyed England. They totally outplayed them across all three disciplines. Phew, England knew that the West Indies were below par but that is some wake-up call.
England all-out for 113, lose by 97 runs
England have been hammered. That’s their heaviest ever loss.
Bell on 2 is the last to go as she slogs Shree Charani – who signs off her first T20I with 4-12 from 3.5 – and is caught in the deep. Another good catch from Rodrigues.
Smith is not-out without facing a ball.
Brilliant from India. Sensational with the bat. Outstanding with the ball. Clinical in the field.
Updated
WICKET! Sciver-Brunt c Ghosh b Shree Charani 66 (England 111-9)
Action replay! And Nelson strikes again. Almost identical to the Filer wicket. Shree Charani offers width, Sciver-Brunt chases it but can only get a slight nick. Original decision was not-out but there was a clear sound. Brilliant from tje keeper. Brilliant from the debutant. And despite Sciver-Brunt’s brilliance, she’ll be speaking as a losing captain.
Updated
WICKET! Filer c Ghosh b Reddy 2 (England 111-8)
Nelson does the business! Someone in the England dressing must have had both feet on the floor because Nelson strikes. Another great catch from Ghosh, standing up to the stumps as Reddy dangled a wide one to Filer. The right hander hurled her hands towards the ball but could only manage a tickle.
At the other end Sciver-Brunt monstered another stand and deliver biff over cover for four. But she’s on her own.
14th over: England 111-8 (Sciver-Brunt 66)
13th over: England 104-7 (Sciver-Brunt 60, Filer 1) Brilliant from the debutant Shree Charani. She’s delivering her front-on finger spin with a lovely high action and release. Subtle changes in pace as well. She’s got two wickets for just 10 runs from three overs.
WICKET! Ecclestone c Rodrigues b Shree Charani 1 (England 102-7)
Holed out in the deep! Ecclestone caught a good piece of this slog sweep but picked out the fielder at cow corner. Rodrigues ran in, misjudging it in the air, but she managed to hold on above her head.
Updated
12th over: England 102-6 (Sciver-Brunt 59, Ecclestone 1) Top work from NSB. She crunched the first ball of this Sharma over for four off the back foot then moved around her crease and turned a fuller ball into a full toss which she swept fine for four. That movement caused panic in Sharma who chucked a wide down the leg side. A two off the last ball off a flick through the leg side adds up to 14 runs off the over. The required rate is 14.2.
Now Sciver-Brunt gets her 50
Brilliant, as you’d expect, from the best player in the world. I said it. I don’t think there’s anyone on her level. And that’s another milestone for England’s skipper. A 31-ball 50 is reached with a biff over cover. She just wallops spinners who miss thir length. A muted celebration. Job’s not done.
Updated
11th over: England 92-6 (Sciver-Brunt 48, Ecclestone 0) Arlott spanked a six, collected a two and then chipped to cover. Yadav has 2-15 from two overs. What can England manage from here? They’re being strangled by spin at both ends.
WICKET! Arlott c Mandhana b Yadav 12 (England 86-6)
Another one goes! I mistook Arlott for Sciver-Brunt. It wasn;t the skipper who belted that six but it’s unquestionably Arlott who chipped, off the leading edge, Yadav straight to cover. Sciver-Brunt, not yet on 50, will have to face as many balls as she can from here.
Updated
10th over: England 78-5 (Sciver-Brunt 47, Arlott 3) NSB thwacks Rana over the infield and for four to the cover fence. They needed that. They’ll need a lot more to be fair. But while the skipper climbs through the gears and farms as much of the strike as possible (she’s only faced 29 balls) there is a chance. Seven runs off that over and as they take a drinks break, England will look up and notice they need 13.3 runs an over to win this.
9th over: England 71-5 (Sciver-Brunt 42, Arlott 1) Superb from the debutant Shree Charani who now has 1-8 from her first two overs in T20Is. Not only has she got the wicket of Capsey, and not only did that over only cost two runs, but she kept Sciver-Brunt off strike. The new batter Arlott chopped a single to mid-off which will delight the Indians. England’s captain will start to itch. She’ll know that she is the only hope England have of turning this around.
WICKET! Capsey c Reddy b Shree Charani 5 (England 70-5)
Soft dismissal! No other way to say it. That was just so tame from Capsey. Shree Charani, on debut, tossed it up and invited the drive from Capsey. But rather than hit it, she wafted her hands towards the ball and caught a thick edge that carried down to fielder at short third in the edge of the circle. India’s spinners have put the squeeze on and they’re suffocating the life out of England.
Updated
8th over: England 69-4 (Sciver-Brunt 41, Capsey 5) India are bowling to their field and keeping the scoring down. Sounds simple, but it’s something Englaind failed to do. 18 balls since the last boundary as Rana is tight and keeping the scoring towards the leg side where everyone is stationed. They’re also reading the wind. If England want to take on the desirable boundary they’ll have to hit into the breeze. Just six runs off that set.
7th over: England 63-4 (Sciver-Brunt 39, Capsey 1) Sciver-Brunt just needs someone to stay with her. This is a top set from Yadav who bagged the wicket of Jones and conceded just five runs. Lovely flighty spin. India have opted to take pace off and it’s working a treat. England now need 148 from 78 deliveries.
WICKET! Jones st Ghosh b Yadav 1 (England 62-4)
England are falling apart! Jones, facing only her second ball, skipped down to a flighter from Yadav and missed it entirely. Ghosh fumbled. Jones could have got back if she wasn’t admonishing herself. As it turned out, Ghosh collected the ball and tipped the bails off. Sciver-Brunt is running out of mates.
Updated
WICKET! Beaumont b Sharma 10 (England 58-3)
Bowled on the charge! Sciver-Brunt started this Sharma over by spanking two fours – clobbering off the back off over cover and drilling down the ground. But she was cramped for four dot balls thereafter and after a leg-bye Beaumont was on strike. Perhaps it was that string of dots that prompted the premeditated charge down the wicket. Sharma spotted her coming, pulled her length back and castled the onrushing Beaumont.
6th over: England 58-3 (Sciver-Brunt 37)
Updated
5th over: England 48-2 (Sciver-Brunt 29, Beaumont 10) Reddy into the attack. It’s a sort of flighty, medium pace sort of thing she’s delivering. No real zip but no pace to work with either. Into the surface, wicket to wicket. Tidy. Sciver-Brunt hammered the first ball that was over pitched for four, but the final ball almost bags a wicket Beaumont just clears the fielder at mid-on. In fact, Mandhana got a fingertip to it and they come back for a couple.
4th over: England 37-2 (Sciver-Brunt 21, Beaumont 7) Beaumont has a boundary with a nicely taken cut off a Charani drag-down. I’m liking this loopy spin and apart from that last ball it was pretty tidy. Just six runs off that set. The required rate is pushing around 10.5 an over. This is such a crucial partnership.
3rd over: England 31-2 (Sciver-Brunt 20, Beaumont 2) NSB is on the charge! Two boundaries struck with authority. She’s down the track drilling Amanjot over mid-on and then thumping a pull behind square. A quickly taken two keeps the score ticking and the required rate within touching distance.
2nd over: England 17-2 (Sciver-Brunt 7, Beaumont 1) Sharma gets rid of Wyatt-Hodge but Sciver-Brunt is the key wicket. She looks in good touch as she nails a boundary down the ground to let the Indians know there’s still a fight to be had here. She’ll have to match the knock by India’s captain.
WICKET! Wyatt-Hodge c Deol b Sharma 0 (England 9-2)
Two in two balls! Wyatt-Hodge will want to forget today’s game in a hurry. A dropped dolly in the field now a duck with the bat. Sharma lands this on a good length and Wyatt-Hodge tries to work it through the on side. She gets a leading edge and it flies to short third where Deol pouches a simple catch. England are in deep trouble here.
Updated
WICKET! Dunkley c Ghosh b Kaur 7 (England 9-1)
Oh my GHOSH! That’s a stunner from the ‘keeper. It’s a poor ball from Kaur, short and very wide. But Dunkley doesn’t move her feet as she attempts to slash it through point. A thick edge looks destined for the deep third boundary but for the outstretched glove of Ghosh. That was the last ball of the over. India are on the board early after Dunkley hit the first ball for four.
1st over: England 9-1 (Wyatt-Hodge 0)
Updated
England’s openers are ready. Dunkley and Wyatt-Hodge – who put down a dolly and will be keen to make up for her error. They can certainly do this. But they’ll need a fast start.
They’re showing highlights of Mandhana’s knock on Sky. Do yourself a favour. If you’re reading this and haven’t yet seen this innings try and locate the highlights when you can.
This wasn’t a slogfest. It was ‘proper’ cricket. Cover drives, pulls in front of square, bunts down the ground, firm sweeps. She rotated the strike, picked gaps and manipulated angles by moving around the crease.
It was an exhibition. A masterclass. A clinic. Honestly, I’m not being hyperbolic for the sake of it. It really was a gem.
India post 210-5
Over to England’s batters. Their bowlers got a right tonking with India’s skipper, Mandhana, doing most of the damage with a superb 112 from 62 balls.
Ecclestone was asked to bowl the last over and conceded two boundaries – one down the ground to Mandhana and another swept hard by Sharma – but she did bag the big wicket of Mandhana.
Sharma ended not out on 7 adding two off the final over. Kaur collected three from as many balls in her red-inker.
England were largely poor in the field and with the ball. Can they right those wrongs with bat in hand?
WICKET! Mandhana c Sciver-Brunt b Ecclestone 112 (India 202-5)
A sublime knock comes to an end! Ecclestone was just smoked down the ground for four so she tossed it a little higher and a little slower. Mandhana, looking to crunch it again, couldn’t get to the pitch and skied it into the covers where Sciver-Brunt completed the catch. That was a truly wonderful innings. One of the best I’ve seen. I reckon that was the first poor shot she played across 62 balls.
Updated
19th over: India 198-4 (Mandhana 108, Kaur 2) Brilliant over from Arlott who got her lengths right and varied her pace. Crucially she bowled to her field. So even though Mandhana played two gorgeous shots, one over cover and the other brilliantly picked up on the leg side, they only counted for singles. Five runs off the penultimate over is a huge win for the home side.
18th over: India 193-4 (Mandhana 104, Kaur 1) An eventful and successful over for England. Bell bagged a brace and closes out 3-27 from her four overs. Crucially Mandhana only faced two legal deliveries (another was a wide down the leg side). She is on strike though for Arlott’s set.
WICKET! Rodrigues c Sciver-Brunt b Bell 0 (India 190-4)
Two in the over for Bell! A bit of a fightback from England as another slower ball from Bell holds in the surface. Rodrigues doesn’t have the read of it having faced just one ball before and she smears a cut towards cover-point where Sciver-Brunt holds on with a tumble. Sharp catch from the skipper, setting the tone for these final few overs.
Updated
WICKET! Ghosh c Dunkley b Bell 12 (India 186-3)
Bell deserves that! She’s been the pick of the England bowlers. Ghosh’s role was to hit every ball she faced to the boundary. So no shame in holing out at mid-off where Dunkley caught well around her ankles running in from the rope. Bell’s change of pace doing the trick there.
Updated
17th over: India 184-2 (Mandhana 102, Ghosh 12) New batter Ghosh is up to the task, hitting two boundaries from her first two balls before sweeping her fifth ball fine to the fence as well. Smith has conceded 41 from three overs.
Apologies to Lauren Filer. I’ve been incorrectly calling her Flier. Thanks for the steer Robert Dinsey. I’ll make sure to go back and correct those mistakes at the change of innings.
WICKET! Deol c Arlott b Bell 43 (India 171-2)
Finally some class from England as Arlott holds on well! Deol looked to cross-bat club Bell but was fighting against the wind. Arlott, at a wide long-on, ran to her right and held on with both hands. A handy knock comes to an end.
Earlier in the over Mandhana swatted two boundaries – behind square on the pull and over cover on the drive – to bring up her first T20 hundred.
16th over: India 172-2 (Mandhana 101)
Updated
100 for Mandhana
You won’t see a better knock than this one! That was simply outstanding. Elegant, silky, in total control. What a masterclass this has been. She gets there with a booming lofted cover drive, a shot she’s unfurled with devastating effect all innings. Just stunning batting from the skipper.
Updated
15th over: India 160-1 (Mandhana 90, Deol 43) Superb from Mandhana. I’m running out of superlatives. Filer isn’t too short but Mandhana has enough time to move across her stumps and pull behind square for four. Filer isn’t too full but Mandhana has enough timing to lift a cover drive over the infield for four more. That second boundary could be the shot of the day. India’s stand-in skipper, who now has her highest score in the format, gets a couple off an edge from a Filer bouncer and then a single after Beaumont does well to prevent the boundary at deep square leg.
Updated
14th over: India 148-1 (Mandhana 79, Deol 42) High class from both batters who collect boundaries with shots that have become trademarks. Deol sweeps Ecclestone – back into the attack but unable to stem the flow of runs – and Mandhana unfurls a gorgeous inside out lofted cover drive that finds the rope. Just superb batting. England needed a sterner test than what the West Indies could offer. They’re certainly getting one now.
13th over: India 136-1 (Mandhana 73, Deol 36) England can’t hold back the tide. Deol jumps down the wicket and pastes Arlott through the covers for four. 10 more runs thanks to sharp work between the wickets from the batters. Three for Mandhana who hoiked to the leg side fence. A pair of twos for Deol who is moving around her crease and causing confusion for Arlott who doesn’t have an answer.
12th over: India 122-1 (Mandhana 69, Deol 27) India are disappearing over the horizon. Deol nails Capsey down the ground from the first ball of the over. A single brings Mandhana on strike who skips down the track and opens her body before lifting a four wide of long-off. Deol then tried to clear the rope but only offered Wyatt-Hodge some catching practice. Good thing for the Indian batter that England’s fielding has been utter dross. That was a dolly. No question about it. Edwards in the pavilion looks livid. She has every right to be.
Wyatt-Hodge puts down a goober!
My word, England have been so poor! Deol launches Capsey into the deep at midwicket where Wyatt-Hodge is stationed and she puts it down. Just so far below standard for this level.
Updated
11th over: India 110-1 (Mandhana 63, Deol 23) Filer is back and Mandhana sends the first ball – ahem – flying over the rope with a sensational pull shot. She absolutely nailed that. Filer mixes up her pace but is a little loose. Two wides and a no ball is not what the doctor ordered. There just doesn’t seem to be a coherent plan on how to get a wicket. Is Sciver-Brunt short of ideas or are her bowlers not following orders? Chance of a bit of both I reckon.
Updated
10th over: India 98-1 (Mandhana 55, Deol 20) Wow, if England were keen to keep Deol on strike they might want to rethink that plan. Having hit her second ball for four in the last over, she’s added three more. Smith’s spin is too slow and too straight and the right-handed Deol is a mighty sweeper of the ball. First she sweeps towards midwicket. Then in front of square. Then behind square. All reach the rope. Two singles close the set and that’s 14 off it. Smith has now coughed up 28 from her two overs. England need a spark. They’ll have a chance to catch their breath with a drinks break.
9th over: India (Mandhana 54, Deol 7) England bag the breakthrough they desperately needed. The new batter Deol looks a treat, though, as she collects two past point, then unleashes a drive through the covers for four and keeps the strike with a swivelled pull down the fine leg. England will want to target her and keep Mandhana itching at the non-striker’s end, but Deol can bat. No doubt about that.
WICKET! Verma c Ecclestone b Arlott 20 (India 77-1)
England needed that! Verma, perhaps sensing that she needed to match her skipper’s scoring, tried to force the issue. She ran out her crease to the returning Arlott and almost yorked herself but still went through with the lofted drive. She couldn’t find the elevation required to clear mid-off and Ecclestone had a simply grab.
Updated
8th over: India 75-0 (Verma 19, Mandhana 53) Mandhana looks a dream. Capsey into the attack but it doesn’t make much difference. The skipper skips down the track and lofts a drive for four, though Arlott in the deep really made a mess of that. Then there’s a wide down the leg side before Mandhana rocks back and cuts behind square for four to reach her milestone. England are scrambling and now desperate for a wicket.
50 for Mandhana
“Magical Mandhana” says Nasser Hussain. She gets there with a perfectly placed late cut off Capsey that shoots away for four. She’s never got a ton in this format. Don’t bet against her.
7th over: India 66-0 (Verma 19, Mandhana 45) Ecclestone is welcomed back to international cricket by Mandhana who spanks the first ball of the over for six with a mighty slog sweep. She repeats the trick three balls later and Verma closes the set with a thumping cover drive over the infield for four. Three singles elsewhere means that over cost a whopping 19 runs. Wow, these Indians look in great touch.
Updated
6th over: India 47-0 (Verma 14, Mandhana 31) That’s the powerplay. Another good over, this time from Bell who changed ends. It started with a wide but there were only four more runs off it. Mandhana lofted a couple over cover and Verma was bamboozled by a sumptuous slower ball. An extra coat of varnish on the stumps and she’d be a goner.
5th over: India 42-0 (Verma 13, Mandhana 28) Better from England as Filer bangs it in short to Verma. One is called a no-ball as the slower ball slips out of her hand, but no boundaries and just four runs from that set means England have a rare moral victory in these early exchanges.
Updated
4th over: India 38-0 (Verma 11, Mandhana 27) Three boundaries for the skipper in that saet. Smith is into the attack and Mandhana feasts on her left-arm finger spin. She kicked things off with two fours, one cut away off the back foot and the other mowed over square leg. A pair of singles brings Mandhana back on strike for the last ball and she clears her front leg and heaves it over mid-on for another four. India are flying!
3rd over: India 24-0 (Verma 10, Mandhana 14) Verma survives a caught behind decision after getting sconed by Arlot’s vicious bumper. Still, that’s Verma’s over as she clattered boundaries either side of that moment. The first was boshed past mid-off and the second, after a skip down the track, was scythed through cover.
Updated
Review! Filer, into the attack, has landed a ripper of a bouncer. Has Verma edged it? NO! It’s hit her helmet. My goodness, what a bumper that is. But the original decision of out is reversed.
Updated
2nd over: India 16-0 (Verma 2, Mandhana 14) Mandhana pastes two boundaries, one down the ground from a slower ball from Arlott, the other flayed over the slips. But the opener should be in the shed. She hoiked an ugly pull that looped towards midwicket where Capsey totally lost sight of the ball. It almost landed on her head! So the batters completed a single. What a let off that is.
1st over: India 6-0 (Verma 1, Mandhana 5) Bell is full and straight and looking for swing. Verma gets off the mark with a bunt down the ground before Verma creams a drive past the bowler for four, showing off the bat maker’s logo as she does so. Verma firmly drives again but it’s half-stopped at mid-off so they scamper through for a single. Bell adjusts her length and gets away with the half-tracker as Verma fluffs the pull straight to mid-on. Verma then nails the final ball on the drive but clatters the stumps at the non-striker’s end.
Updated
Lauren Bell has the ball in her hands.
After a short moment of silence remembering the victims of the Air India 171 crash, we’re ready to go.
“The pitch will remain good,” says Ravi Shastri. Let’s get cracking!
Charlotte Edwards was chatting the BBC Radio earlier:
There’s a real excitement around this series for us. A big opportunity to play at some bigger grounds and test ourselves against one of the best teams in the world.
This is going to be a tougher test for us [than West Indies]. This India batting line-up provides us with an opportunity to expose some of our young bowlers and a new bowling group in many ways. It gives us an opportunity to look at options.
I think the great thing about this group is we’re learning all the time
Here’s the official line from the BCCI on Harmanpreet’s injury:
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been rested for the first T20I against England Women in Nottingham as a precautionary measure following a head injury [not a hand injury as I reported earlier] sustained during the T20 Warm-up match against ECB Select XI. She’s being closely monitored by the medical team and is recovering well. Smriti Mandhana is leading the side in her absence"
No Charlie Dean. Hmmm. Is that a mossed trick? Sure, conditions in India are different to Nottingham – one of the better decks in the UK – but I’d be getting miles in the arms of all spinners ahead of a World Cup on the sub continent. Also, Dean v Mandhana seems like match-up I’d want if I were an England captain.
Teams
Tammy Beaumont and Sophie Ecclestone return. Two big players. Filer and Bell will tear in with seam and swing.
As expected Shafali Verma makes her way back to the top of India’s order. Harampreet is out with a head injury. Shree Charani, the left arm finger spinner, makes her debut
England: Dunkley, Wyatt-Hodge, Sciver-Brunt (c), Beaumont, Jones (wk), Capsey, Arlott, Ecclestone, Filer, Smith, Bell.
India: Mandhana (c), Verma, Deol, Rodrigues, Kaur, Ghosh (wk), Sharma, Yadav, Reddy, Rana, Shree Charani
Updated
England win the toss and bowl
A shouting Ravi Shastri gets us underway as Nat Sciver-Brunt opts for a chase.
She’s going with a ‘fairly heavy pace attack’. Juicy.
She says that selecting the side was “very difficult”.
Smriti Mandhana would have bowled first as well. Time for India to get things in order with a home World Cup around the corner.
Toss in a few minutes. Big question if Sophie Ecclestone will slot straight back into the side after a break. For my money she’s the best white ball bowler in the world. And is one of those rare power hitters who can tonk sixes from the word go. She simply has to play if she’s fit and in the right head space.
How great is this?! Anything that makes this beautiful sport more accessible in any way gets a boost on the OBO:
We’ve already been treated to an England v India epic this summer.
I love it men’s and women’s tours coincide with one another. It adds to the intrigue, narrative and bragging rights.
Not that this match serves as a side quest but worth a refresh on that cracking Test at Headinlgey:
Preamble
Charlotte Edwards’ tenure as England coach has got off to a perfect start, winning all six matches against the West Indies across.
It might be too early to attach a suffix to this team (Chazball maybe?) but a 100% record is a 100% record. After the Ashes thumping, it’s job done so far.
India will provide a sterner test. The third-ranked team in both ODIs and T20Is have a clutch of star batters including the returning 21-year-old Shafali Verma who makes a comeback after falling out of favour during India’s sorry T20 World Cup campaign last year.
Their bowling stocks aren’t as well supplied and we could see a couple of new faces across the tour.
England will start as favourites on home soil but will know a slip in the opening game will open old wounds. Edwards and her skipper, Nat Sciver-Brunt, will want to lay down a marker early doors.
Will they continue to fly the flag of Chazball (I’m doubling down on the moniker), or will they slide back against decent opposition?
We’ll find out together.
Play starts at 2:30pm.
Toss and teams and other bits to come til then.
If you’d like to get in touch, drop me a line.
