The Indian women kicked off the three-match ODI series against England with a thunderous performance, winning at a canter. The Indians thoroughly outplayed their opponents, both with bat and ball, as they managed to notch up a comfortable seven wicket-win at Sussex.
Stalwart bowler Jhulan Goswami was fantastic with the ball, supported well by Deepti Sharma, before a fine collective batting performance, with half-centuries from Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Yastika Bhatia ensured victory for the visitors. Smriti was the pick of the performers on the day, scoring a brilliant 99-ball 91, guiding her side to victory in what could have been a potentially tricky chase.
Kaur won the toss and decided to put the hosts into bat, with the surface looking like it could offer something for the bowlers upfront. The hosts started off in a watchful fashion, but Emma Lamb was able to get a couple of boundaries early on.
However, it was not long before both the openers were making the long walk back to the pavilion. Tasmin Beaumont, in particular, looked all at sea in her brief stay, falling to Goswami, whose tight wicket-to-wicket bowling proved to be too much for the English opener.
Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey, who were tasked with reviving the England innings, spent quite some time at the crease, trying to stitch together an appropriate response after the initial stumble. Their partnership was just beginning to blossom as Harmanpreet put a spanner in the works with a fabulous catch at short mid-wicket to send Capsey on her way.
Danni Wyatt was in good form, as she was able to mitigate the Indian bowling to a decent effect. However, two more quick wickets meant that Wyatt and Alice Davidson-Richards now had to rebuild again. Wyatt’s dismissal after a 34-run sixth-wicket partnership dispelled any hopes of a huge total. Nonetheless, Davidson-Richards, along with cameos from Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean, brought the England score to a disappointing yet defendable 227.
In response, the visitors lost an early wicket, with Shefali Verma falling for just a single run, courtesy a spectacular catch by Dean. The early dismissal sparked fears of a collapse, but left-handed duo Yastika and the dependable Smrithi kept the English bowling at bay, indulging in some expansive strokeplay to take command of the game.
Bhatia, who was playing at a higher strike rate, reached a fine half-century as India were firmly in the driver’s seat. Nevertheless, a period of inpatient batting from Bhatia meant that the 97- run second wicket stand came to an end, castled by Charlie Dean while attempting a heave after advancing down the wicket.
However, Mandhana and Kaur, who replaced Bhatia in the middle, continued as if there was no difference. Mandhana began to accelerate, taking the aerial route on more than one occasion. Harmanpreet was impressive as usual, playing some excellent shots on her way to a half-century. Mandhana missed out on a well-deserved hundred after mistiming a front-foot pull, falling nine runs short of the three-figure mark.
In any case, Mandhana’s dismissal did not make much of a difference. With just 30 runs to get, only a calamitous collapse could have seen India throw the game away. The experienced Harmanpreet made sure that there were no further hiccups along the way, eventually wrapping up the chase with a maximum over square leg.
The skipper finished unbeaten on 74*, including seven boundaries and the solitary six, as her side took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. She received the player of the match award for her wonderful innings, as India will look to close out the series in the next game.
