India’s skipper Harmanpreet Kaur led his team to a commanding 88-run victory in the second One-Day International, giving India their first series victory against England since 1999.
With a brilliant 143 not out off only 111 balls, a classic Harmanpreet brought back memories of the 2017 World Cup as India posted a massive 333 for 5.
On Wednesday night, medium pacer Renuka Singh (4/57) claimed four wickets as India bowled out England for 245 in 44.5 overs.
The only encouraging performance by England batters came from Danni Wyatt, who scored 65 off 58 balls.
India’s women last defeated England in an ODI series in 1999, a 2-1 victory.
England wanted to get off to a fast start to chase down the significant score, but Renuka prevented them by removing two top-order batters in Emma Lamb (15) and Sophia Dunkley (1).
By the conclusion of the eighth over, the visitors were down to 47 for 3 as Tammy Beaumont (#6) was run out.
Before England’s chase collapsed with Wyatt being removed by Renuka in the 30th over, Wyatt and captain Amy Jones (39) shared another 65 runs with Alice Capsey (39), who had put up a 55-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Charlie Dean (37), Kate Cross (14), and other players gave it their all in the closing moments, but India’s outstanding victory proved too much to ask.
When given a chance to bat, Harmanpreet hammered 18 fours and four sixes on her way to a 111-ball innings. She also shared a brilliant 112-run partnership with Harleen Deol for the fourth wicket (58 off 72 balls).
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For the unbroken sixth wicket partnership, she scored 50 runs with Pooja Vastrakar (18) and another 71 runs in four overs with Deepti Sharma (15 not out).
While the 334-run mark in a WODI always seemed unrealistic despite the surface being a batting belter, Harmanpreet effectively stole the game away from England in the last three overs.
The Indian side scored 62 runs in the last three overs thanks to its captain, who was in imperious form as she reached her seventh WODI hundred.
The innings included many of Harmanpreet’s signature slog sweeps over cow corners, which earned him a few sixes and scornful sixes over the cover area.
Because the surface provided minimal assistance for bowlers, it was pretty simple to smash through the line, which hurt England’s bowling assault. Only the off-spinner Charlie Dean (1/39) finished with decent stats.
Freya Kemp, a left-arm seamer making her debut, was the worst victim. Until the conclusion of her seventh over, when she had given up just 28 runs, she was doing well.
Harmanpreet was dominant during their sixth wicket partnership that Deepti Sharma, who still holds the individual record (188) for an Indian hitter in WODIs, was more of a spectator.
India Women scored 333/5 in 50 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur was unbeaten at 143, Harleen Deol had 58, and Freya Kemp had 1/82).
England was dismissed for 245 in 44.2 overs (Danni Wyatt scored 65; Renuka Singh took 4/57).