England women put up a disciplined performance at Lord’s, restricting India to 143/8 in 29 overs after rain reduced the second ODI to a shortened affair. Following a delay of nearly four hours, the game got underway at the iconic venue as a 29-over contest. England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt opted to bowl first under overcast conditions — a decision that proved to be the right one.
England’s pace duo of Emily Arlott and Lauren Bell made full use of the conditions, extracting swing and troubling India’s top-order. Pratika Rawal was the first to fall, bowled by a sharp yorker from Arlott that disturbed her off stump.
Coming in at number three, Harleen Deol partnered Smriti Mandhana, and the duo added a steady 40 runs for the second wicket. But Harleen’s resistance ended when Sophie Ecclestone dismissed her — Ecclestone’s first of three wickets in the innings.
India’s struggles continued against England’s spin trio. Alongside Ecclestone, Charlie Dean and Linsey Smith kept up the pressure and took wickets regularly through the middle overs. In this phase, India lost six wickets for just 86 runs in 17 overs. Key batters Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Richa Ghosh fell cheaply, derailing India’s innings.
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The pitch appeared slightly slow, with the ball holding up at times. Both spinners and pacers effectively used their variations to extract help from the surface. Arlott, in particular, was excellent during the death overs, using her changes of pace smartly.
Mandhana top-scored for India with 42 off 51 balls, while Deepti Sharma’s crucial unbeaten 30 off 34 ensured that India reached a somewhat respectable total. Despite this effort, it was an underwhelming day for India’s batting unit, especially considering their recent form.
India had been impressive in their last few series — starting with the tri-series win in Sri Lanka, followed by a T20I series win on this tour, and a strong showing in the first ODI. But today, the batting order failed to stitch together key partnerships and posted a below-par score.
Now, all eyes will turn to India’s bowlers. A win here would seal the series for them, but defending this total will require a sharp and collective effort with the ball.
Also Read: ENG-W vs IND-W 2nd ODI: Rain Threat Looms Over Lord’s Clash