Cricholic
🔹 Harmanpreet leads the way with blazing 102
Harmanpreet Kaur delivered a match-winning century to help India Women claim a 13-run win in the final ODI against England. Her scintillating 84-ball 102 laid the foundation for a mammoth first-innings total of 318/5, as India secured a 2-1 series victory.
This knock marked her first century since June 2024, and the second-fastest by an Indian woman in ODI history. It came at a crucial stage, as India were looking to accelerate after early wickets. Harmanpreet combined finesse and power, anchoring the middle overs before exploding in the final stretch.
She was involved in two vital partnerships—81 with Harleen Deol and a rapid 110 with Jemimah Rodrigues—that turned India’s innings into a dominant one.
🔹 Early sparks from Mandhana and Rawal
After opting to bat first, India’s openers Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal provided a solid start. Mandhana was in fine touch, hitting five boundaries in her first 20 balls. Rawal supported well and the duo brought up their 10th fifty-plus stand in just 14 innings.
Rawal fell in the 13th over, caught behind off Charlie Dean, while Mandhana was dismissed for 45 by Ecclestone shortly after. England could’ve had more had they reviewed an LBW against Harleen, who survived and went on to stabilize India’s innings with Harmanpreet.
🔹 Harmanpreet and Jemimah take control
Harmanpreet got off the mark after 10 balls, but once settled, her strokeplay became irresistible. She reached her half-century in 54 balls, and with Rodrigues attacking from the other end, India moved past 200 comfortably.
Jemimah struck three fours in a row off Dean and brought up her own fifty in just 44 balls. Together, they took the game away from England, targeting both pace and spin. Their 110-run stand off 69 balls featured smart placement, bold hitting, and constant rotation of strike.
India’s final 10 overs yielded 120 runs, with Richa Ghosh hitting a six and two fours to finish with a flourish.
🔹 Goud rocks England early
England’s reply started poorly. Kranti Goud struck in her first over, clean bowling Tammy Beaumont, and then removed Amy Jones in the third over. Her dream spell saw tight lines, late movement, and clever variations.
Despite those early blows, Emma Lamb and Nat Sciver-Brunt put together a record 162-run stand for the third wicket. Lamb mixed caution with aggression, while Sciver-Brunt built her innings steadily before finding her rhythm.
🔹 Sciver’s 98 keeps England in the game
Sciver-Brunt reached her fifty in 67 balls, eventually scoring 98 before gloving a sweep to the keeper. Lamb scored 68 but was bowled by Shree Charani while attempting a sweep. Their partnership brought England close, but India pulled things back with quick wickets.
Crucially, England’s momentum dropped after those two dismissals. Dunkley’s run-out further dented their chase.
🔹 Goud seals it with a six-wicket haul
With 55 needed off the last five overs, England still had hope. However, Goud returned to dismiss Dean, Filer, and Bell to complete her maiden six-wicket haul—only the fifth instance of an Indian woman taking six in an ODI.
England fell short, bowled out for 305 in 49.5 overs, as India wrapped up the series with a high-pressure win.
📝 Match Summary:
India Women – 318/5 (Harmanpreet 102, Rodrigues 50; Ecclestone 1-28)
England Women – 305 (Sciver-Brunt 98, Lamb 68; Goud 6-52)
✅ India won by 13 runs
