The Women in Blue have done it again as they have drawn first blood in the ODI series by beating England by 4 wickets in a tight contest in Southampton. While it was a day to celebrate for the Women in Blue, England were left ruing missed opportunities and where they went wrong in the match. We will try to find out the reasons for their heart-breaking loss to India.
Losing both in-form openers in powerplay pegs England back
England won the toss and elected to bat first on a hot and sunny day in Southampton. The two openers Tammy Beaumont and keeper batter Amy Jones were in terrific form in the preceding series against West Indies. They really punished them and made things easier for the middle order. Much was expected from them to lay the platform against India as well. But it was not to be.
Amy Jones was dismissed for 1 off 7 balls while Tammy Beaumont fell for 5 off 7 balls. Both fell to Kranti Goud. England were pegged back because of this as they were reduced to 20/2 in 4 overs. Yes, they recovered through their middle order to get to 258/6 in 50 overs which was a credible score. But it turned out to be insufficient as Nat Sciver-Brunt mentioned in the post-match presentation that a score of 280 would have been winning score. Despite the recovery, they were below par on that pitch.
England will be hoping that going forward, the openers come good and lay the foundation for the middle order and lower middle order to do the job. Setting the foundation is so very important and England would like to get this right as soon as possible in the next game.
Failure to break the Deepti Sharma-Jemimah Rodrigues stand quickly costs England dear
Chasing 259 for the win, India got off to a steady start as the first two wickets fell after scoring 94 runs. But the Harleen Deol run out and some tight bowling brought England back in the game and they were high on spirits. India were in a spot of bother at 124/4 in 27.1 overs when captain Harmanpreet Kaur fell. At this stage, the game was on the line and could have swayed either ways.
Jemimah Rodrigues was at the crease and was joined by Deepti Sharma and the duo started to rebuild and resurrect India from a dicey situation. It seemed that England did not have the right plans in place for the duo and Deepti took advantage of it. Deepti was the match winner in the end scoring unbeaten 62 off 64 balls with 3 fours and a six while Jemimah made 48 off 54 balls with 5 fours to her name. The duo put on 90 off 86 balls to change the game and bring the required rate under control.
Thereafter, Jemimah got out, Richa Ghosh scored 10 and got out but Amanjot Kaur came in and scored 20* off 14 balls to get India the win in 48.2 overs. England needs to be clinical going forward with game on the line and close the game out. They have done it in the past, but yesterday India handled the pressure well, and credit must be given to the Women in Blue for winning yesterday.
The failure of Kate Cross to spearhead the pace bowling attack.Â
It was expected that England would make things difficult with the ball in the second innings. They did to a degree as the spinners bowled really well and pegged India back. The pacers were ineffective, and one name that stands out is Kate Cross. Cross is an experienced campaigner and the spearhead of the attack, but she failed to lead from the front.
Kate Cross bowled 9.2 overs and gave away 60 runs but more importantly did not pick up a wicket. India did not have problems playing her and got runs at will. It is true that England are playing an ODI after a while, but that cannot be an excuse for her not performing to the best of abilities. She had an off-day and would like to comeback in the last two games, which she can knowing her character. But in Southampton, she let her team down where the likes of Ecclestone, Dean performed to their potential.
England will hope that Cross rediscovers her mojo and lead the pace attack from the front as that will be needed to beat this determined Indian side going forward. The other pacers bowled decently, but India played the better game and deserved the victory at the end of the day.
What Lies Ahead.Â
The stage is set for the second ODI to be played at the Mecca of Cricket. The Home of Cricket Lord’s will host the second ODI between England and India on 19th of July i.e. Saturday. India will aim and be determined to win the series and clinch it there, while England will look to make a roaring comeback in the series.
Can India seal the deal at Lord’s London? Or will England make a comeback and level the series 1-1 and force a decider? Only time will tell as we get set and wait for the match at Lord’s to get underway. It promises to be another exciting battle between the two teams.
Also Read:Â ENG-W vs IND-W: Can India Continue Winning Momentum In ODIs After Historic T20I Series Win?