3rd WT20I preview: India eye historic series win over England
What's the story
The Indian women's cricket team is on the verge of a historic T20I series victory against England. The visitors lead the five-match series 2-0 after dominating performances in the first two matches. India won the opener by a record margin of 97 runs before clinching a 24-run win in Bristol - England's first-ever WT20I defeat at that venue. Meanwhile, the third game will be played at London's Kennington Oval on Friday (July 4). Here is the preview.
Match conditions
Venue details and pitch report
The Kennington Oval has been a good batting venue in the shorter formats. It has hosted two women's T20Is with an average first innings score of 174. The Women's Hundred has often seen scores over 140 at this ground. Meanwhile, viewers in India can catch the live broadcast of the match on Sony Sports Network channels (11:05pm IST). SonyLIV and FanCode apps and websites will provide the live streaming.
Past encounters
A look at the head-to-head record
In 2006, India had beaten England in a lone match played in Derby. Since then, the Women in Blue have fallen short in every bilateral WT20I series against England, as per ESPNcricinfo. This time around, however, they are looking to change that narrative with their current form. Overall, England have won 22 of the 32 WT20Is against India, while losing just 10. On England soil, India have won six of their 14 WT20Is against the home team.
Team strategy
Batters have powered Team India
The Indian team has been performing like a well-oiled machine. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and Harleen Deol were key contributors with the bat in the opener. In the second match, Amanjot Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues played crucial fifties as India posted 180-plus scores in both games. This consistent performance is helping them adapt to English conditions ahead of next year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup in England.
Bowling star
Sree Charani has been a revelation
Left-arm spinner Sree Charani has been the breakout star in her debut series. The 20-year-old leads the wicket charts with six scalps and also has the best economy rate in the series - a frugal 5.11. Meanwhile, England were majorly let down by their batters in both games. While skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt put up a lone fight with the bat in the opener, regular fall of wickets dented the team in the second game as well.
XIs
Here are the probable XIs
England (Probable XI): Sophia Dunkley, Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones (wk), Alice Capsey, Em Arlott, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell. India (Probable XI): Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Amanjot Kaur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Sneh Rana, Shree Charani.
Stats
Here are the key performers
Mandhana owns over 849 runs against England across WT20Is at an average of 40.42 and a strike rate of 140.79. Jemimah Rodrigues has 949 runs in away matches (home of opposition) at 33.89. Across 19 WT20Is against India, Sciver-Brunt owns 547 runs at 32.17. Sophie Ecclestone has claimed 21 WT20I wickets against India at a fine average of 19.95.
Poll
