Heather Knight shone like a star after England won the toss and decided to bat first. In a crucial clash, Heather Knight shone through at Number 3 after the openers gave England a decent start with Amy Jones scoring 56. But it was Knight’s 109 off 91 balls with captain Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 38 and handy contributions from down the order that helped England score a massive 288/8 in 50 overs.
For India, Deepti Sharma was the pick of the bowlers with 4/51 in 10 overs. Charani got a couple of wickets and two run outs also took place. India came back well in the back 10 overs but have a mountain to climb as they attempt to chase 289 which will be a record chase for India in ODIs. Advantage England for now.
Amy Jones &Tammy Beaumont give England a solid start in the powerplay
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones walked out to bat for England while Renuka Singh Thakur had ball in hand for India. Renuka started on the worst possible fashion as she overstepped on a possible LBW appeal. The free hit was put away for a boundary by Beaumont as she pulled it over midwicket for a boundary to get off the mark. Kranti Gaud had ball in hand from the other end. Jones cut the short ball past backward point for a boundary.
Renuka continued and bowled a probing over. Jones took the attack to Gaud as she flicked her past midwicket for a boundary. Jones once again planted her front leg and square drove it past backward point for a boundary. Renuka continued and bowled a decent over. Gaud continued as Beaumont flicked her wide of mid-on for a boundary. Jones then saw the width and got on top of bounce to crunch it between covers and cover point for a boundary.
Sneh Rana came into the attack as we had a first change in bowling from India. Rana started with a decent first over. Renuka continued and appealed for LBW against Amy Jones. The umpire said no and ball tracking showed wickets to be missing the stumps. The decision stood as India lost the review. Rana came to bowl the final over of powerplay and bowled a quiet over. At the end of the first 10 overs of powerplay, England were steadily placed at 44/0.
India remove English openers; Knight and Sciver-Brunt steady things for England
Nallapureddy Charani came into the attack post the powerplay. 6 singles came off her first over as the partnership touched 50 runs in 11 overs. Rana continued and bowled a decent over. Charani continued as Jones squeezed it away past left of short third man for a boundary. Jones was not done yet as she rocked back and punched the ball past covers for a boundary. Rana continued and bowled a decent over.
Gaud returned to the attack and should have had Beaumont. But the LBW appeal was turned down. India did not review and ball tracking on replays showed three reds. It was a missed opportunity for India. Gaud bowled a decent over as England went into the Drinks Break at 69/0 in 15 overs. Deepti Sharma was introduced into the attack after the break.
Deepti got her 150th ODI wicket as she got rid of Beaumont for 22 off 43 balls with 2 fours to her name. Deepti bowled a fuller length and a tad quicker on the leg stump line. Beaumont got down on a knee and exposed her leg stump. She looked to sweep behind the stumps but missed it completely and the ball goes on to thud into the stumps. Heather Knight came out to bat next. Gaud continued as Jones pulled away to deep midwicket for a boundary.
Deepti continued and bowled a decent over. Renuka came back for her another spell. Jones reached her half century off 62 balls as she backed it over mid-on for a boundary. This is her maiden World Cup fifty. Deepti bowled a quiet over as England reached 92/1 in 20 overs.
Renuka continued as Knight cut her away for a boundary to deep backward point. Deepti removed the other opener as Amy Jones departed for 56 off 68 balls with 8 fours to her name. Deepti from over the wicket flighted it up fuller on the stumps. Jones charged down and flicked at it but failed to keep it along the ground as Smriti at short midwicket dived to her right and took a good catch. Nat Sciver-Brunt came out to bat next. Nat swept Deepti away for a boundary to deep fine leg as the 100 came up in 21.4 overs.
Amanjot Kaur was introduced into the attack next and was welcomed with a boundary by Sciver-Brunt as she whipped it past short midwicket. Deepti continued and bowled a quiet over. Amanjot continued as Knight played with an open faced bat and ran it down to deep third man for a boundary. At the end of 25 overs at the halfway stage of the innings, England were 120/2.
Knight & Sciver-Brunt drive home the advantage; Sciver-Brunt falls after a century plus stand
Rana continued as Knight swept her away by going down on one knee to deep square leg. Gaud returned to the bowling crease and bowled a quiet over. Rana continued as Knight got down on one knee and slog swept it over forward square leg for a boundary. Gaud bowled a decent over. Charani returned to the attack and bowled a quiet over as England reached 137/2 in 30 overs.
Amanjot Kaur returned to the attack and bowled a low full toss as Sciver-Brunt stood still and slogged it along the ground in the gap between mid-on and midwicket for a boundary. Charani continued as Knight got down on one knee and swept it firmly as the fielder ran after it and couldn’t stop the ball. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Knight was on the charge as she waited for it and placed the cut shot right in the gap between backward point and short third for a boundary. England were 156/2 in 32 overs when players took Drinks Break.
Rana came back into the attack after the break as Knight was on a roll as she brought up her fifty in style by going down on one knee and played the reverse sweep to short third fence. Amanjot returned to the attack as she bowled on the pads, Knight bent her back leg and helped it on its way to fine leg for a boundary. Rana continued as Heather got a streaky boundary by getting the top edge that flew over Deepti at short fine leg. Knight once again hit Rana by going down on one knee and reverse sweeping it fine to short third man for a boundary.
Charani came back into the attack as Knight punished her by sweeping and got a top edge that went over short fine leg for a boundary. Deepti returned to the attack as Heather got on top of the bounce and swept it along the ground for a boundary. Deepti appealed for LBW against the England captain but the umpire said no. India reviewed in hope and saw the ball missing the stumps as India were down to 0 reviews now.
Kranti Gaud came back into the attack. Nat picked the short ball early and got on top of the bounce and punched it beautifully past the diving midwicket fielder for a boundary as the 200 came up for England in 37.3 overs. The 100-run stand came up between the two batters. Knight then took of Gaud and whipped her away by using her wrists to clear midwicket for the maximum. Charani continued and finally broke the partnership as she removed Nat Sciver-Brunt for 38 off 49 balls with 4 fours to her name.
Charani tossed it up full outside off-stump. Sciver-Brunt moved to the leg side and went for a lofted drive over covers. She failed to get the required elevation and her opposite number leaped and took a good catch above her head right on the edge of the ring. Sophia Dunkley came out to bat next. Deepti Sharma came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. At the end of 40 overs, England were well-placed at 214/3 and looked good for a strong finish with wickets in hand.
India fight back with flurry of wickets; but England post a formidable 288/8.
Charani continued and bowled a decent over. Deepti continued as Dunkley got an outside edge that went away to the deep third fence for a boundary. Renuka came back into the attack as Deepti dropped a catch at short fine leg which was a tough chance as Knight got a reprieve. Knight cut Thakur away for a boundary by slapping it to deep backward point for a boundary. Charani continued as Knight got to her century with an outside edge for a boundary past the keeper. Lucky, but well-deserved hundred as she smashed it on her 300th international game.
Knight then stayed back and cut it nicely towards deep point for a boundary in control of the shot. Rana returned to the attack as Heather Knight was dismissed via a run out while trying to take the second run and was found short of her ground at the keeper’s end. Knight was dismissed for 109 off 91 balls with 15 fours and a maximum to her name. Emma Lamb came out to bat next and got off the mark as 250 came up in 44.4 overs. At the end of 45 overs, England were 252/4.
Charani continued and got rid of Dunkley for 15 off 21 balls with a boundary to her name. Charani bowled a fuller length delivery on the stumps, Dunkley walked down and bent her back knee and went for an inside out shot but didn’t time it well. The ball flew to Deepti at long-off who took the catch. Alice Capsey came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Deepti got another wicket as she removed Capsey for 2 off 3 balls.
Deepti bowled it fuller and down the leg after seeing Capsey go for a reverse hit. The batter mistimed the stroke and the cover fielder took a good catch. Charlie Dean came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Rana came to bowl her final over as Dean was dropped by Gaud, a tough chance went down at short third man. Lamb managed to get a boundary away to deep backward square leg for a boundary.
Deepti continued as Dean reverse hit her through deep cover point for a boundary. Deepti hit back as she got rid of Lamb for 11 off 10 balls with a boundary to her name. Deepti bowled a flighted delivery fuller on the stumps. Lamb got down on one knee and aimed to go over long-on but mistimed it to Mandhana who took it easily. Sophie Ecclestone came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Charani came to bowl the final over of the innings. Ecclestone was run out for 3 off 3 balls trying to get on strike as she was short of her ground. Linsey Smith came out to bat next. Dean then smashed the full toss off Charani by coming down the track and slapped it to wide long-on for a boundary. They get a couple of runs off the final ball as England finished with 288/8 in 50 overs. Dean remained unbeaten on 19 off 13 balls with 2 fours to her name as Smith remained unbeaten on 0 off 0 balls. 13 extras given by the Indian bowlers.
It was a tough day for the Indian bowlers. Deepti Sharma was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4/51 in 10 overs. Nallapureddy Charani bowled decently for her 2/68 in 10 overs. There were two run outs in the innings. Renuka Singh Thakur bowled 8 overs for 37 runs. Kranti Gaud gave away 46 runs in 8 overs. Sneh Rana finished her quota of 10 overs for 56 runs. Amanjot Kaur bowled 4 overs and gave away 26 runs. It now means India needs a record run chase of 289 runs in 50 overs.
Who’s Winning, India or England?
Despite the comeback from Indian bowlers in the death, the damage seems to have been done. England have got 288/8 which is a lot of runs on the board on a flat deck. India have to bat out of their skins to chase this and they need their top order to stand up and senior players to stand up. Huge game, can the Indians do the unthinkable? Advantage England at this stage.
Let’s see how the chase unfolds on a beautiful evening in Indore on a good deck.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Scratchy India Aim To Outclass Powerhouse England