MUMBAI, 6 Dec: India failed miserably in all departments of the game as they suffered a comprehensive 38-run defeat against England in the first T20I of the three match series here on Wednesday.
After opting to bowl, India dished out a shoddy fielding and bowling performance — except for Renuka Singh’s 3/27 — to allow England post 197 for 6 and then could only score 158 for 6 in 20 overs to lose the match and concede 1-0 lead to England in the series.
Only Shafali Verma (52 off 42 balls) could score big in the Indian run chase. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur (26) and Richa Ghosh (21) failed to convert their starts as India failed to mount a serious challenge to the big target.
India needed 74 runs from the last five overs and that turned out to be too much for the home side.
Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of the England bowlers with figures of 3/15 as she accounted for Shafali, Harmanpreet and Kanika Ahuja.
Shafali waged a lone battle of sorts, hitting 52 off 42 balls with nine fours but kept running out of partners until her innings ended, with the right-handed batter recording her seventh fifty in the format.
India’s chase took early blows when Smriti Mandhana (6) was cleaned up by Nat Sciver-Brunt in the third over and Freya Kemp struck on her first delivery, getting Jemimah Rodrigues (4) caught behind in the sixth. But despite losing two key batters, India were 53/2 in the powerplay and looked set for having a crack at the big chase until England’s spinners came into fray.
Coming off an injury lay-off, there were no visible signs of struggle for the parsimonious Ecclestone who cleaned up India skipper Harmanpreet (26 off 21 balls, 3x4s, 1x6s) when her partnership with Shafali started to threaten the visitors. Harmanpreet also looked to be getting into her elements but her charge was halted by Ecclestone who cramped the Indian skipper for room in the 11th over. Harmanpreet added 41 runs for the third wicket. (PTI)