England Women suffered a crushing 97-run defeat against India in the first T20I of the ongoing five-match series. It was their biggest loss in T20I history. India posted a massive total of 210 runs. In reply, England were bowled out for just 113. The performance left fans and experts shocked.
Speaking on Sky Sports Cricket, England batter Lauren Winfield-Hill shared her thoughts on the defeat. She felt England lost their grip in the first half of the match. “It felt like England lost control in the first innings. England didn’t get their bowling matchups right. Bell bowled and went at five an over, and we didn’t see her until the death,” she said.
Winfield-Hill felt that England missed a key chance by not using Lauren Bell earlier in the innings. “It felt like she was the one who could have come into the game earlier and removed Mandhana, especially with Harmanpreet Kaur [India’s captain who was rested after a head injury] out of the middle order,” she added.
“England never really got hold of the game” – Winfield-Hill
Winfield-Hill also pointed out that England failed to set the right tone in the match. “There was a real effort there from India. If England got a few early wickets, they could have been in the driving seat, but the tempo wasn’t really set by England,” she said.
She also criticised England’s fielding in the early overs. “There were a lot of dropped catches and a misfield in the first over. It was a bit sloppy from England. Tempo is so important in T20 cricket, how you set the tone is enormous, and England never really got hold of the game,” she added.
England will now aim to bounce back in the second T20I of the series. The match will be played in Bristol on 1 July 2025.
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