2nd WODI: Can England bounce back against India at Lord's?
What's the story
India will look to seal the three-match Women's ODI series against England when they clash in the second match at Lord's on Saturday. The visitors won the opening game by four wickets in Southampton, giving Harmanpreet Kaur's side a 1-0 lead. Notably, the series is crucial for both teams as they prepare for the ICC Women's ODI World Cup later this year. Here is the match preview.
Match conditions
Pitch report and weather conditions
The pitch at Lord's is expected to be balanced for both batters and bowlers. It will provide a flat surface where pacers can expect early swings and movement. However, as the match progresses, spinners are likely to come into play. The weather forecast also looks promising for a full day's play with no rain interruptions expected during the match hours. Meanwhile, the game will get underway at 3:30pm IST.
Review
Recap of opening game
India chased down a target of 259 with four wickets in hand in the opening game. Despite Sophia Dunkley's brilliant knock of 83 runs off 92 balls and Natalie Sciver-Brunt's contribution of 41 runs off 52 balls, England could not post a strong total. Sneh Rana and Kranti Goud took two wickets each. On the batting front, Jemimah Rodrigues (48), Deepti Sharma (62*), and Amanjot Kaur (20*) did well.
Match preview
England eye comeback; India aim for more wins
Having already won their maiden T20I series in England, India are riding high on confidence. A win at Lord's would further boost their World Cup readiness and morale ahead of the global event. Meanwhile, Team England needs to win this match to stay alive in the series after suffering its fifth consecutive ODI defeat at home.
H2H
Here's the head-to-head record
In WODIs, England Women lead the head-to-head record against India Women with 40 wins in 77 matches (35 losses). However, India will be looking to turn things around after their impressive performance in the last match. On England soil, India have won just 10 of their 36 WODIs against the home team, losing 24. Notably, India are searching for their third bilateral WODI series win on England soil.
Team composition
Here are the probable XIs
England (Probable XI): Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones (wk), Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Sophia Dunkley, Alice Davidson Richards, Charlotte Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell. India (Probable XI): Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Shree Charani, Kranti Goud.
Stats
Here are the key performers
Dunkley's knock of 83 in the opener had 9 fours. Versus India Women, she now owns 238 WODI runs at 39.66. Smriti Mandhana, during the first match, became only the second Indian woman with 4,500 runs in ODI cricket. Versus England Women, Deepti Sharma owns 356 runs from 16 matches at 50.85. Charlotte Dean owns 74 WODI wickets at an average of 21.41.
Poll
