Avoiding what looked like a near-similar repeat of the ICC Women’s World Cup Final at Lord’s in June last year, the Indian team managed to hold on to their nerves in a thrilling one-wicket win over England in the first of the three ODIs in Nagpur on Friday.
Chasing 208 for the win, it India looked like cruising home at 171/4, thanks to yet another sparkling innings by opener Smriti Mandhana. But starting with her wicket, a procession began as India were reduced to 189/9 in no time, leaving the last wicket-pair with 19 runs to get in less than four overs.
Stars of the match, with the ball earlier, Poonam Yadav and Ekta Bisht stepped up for India and took them home. Yadav (4/30) and Bisht (3/49) first restricted England to 207, but their contributions with the bat was arguably even more crucial: an unbeaten 19-run stand for the final wicket ensuring India sneaked to victory in 49.1 overs.
On a day Mithali Raj broke the record for the most number of appearances in women’s ODIs playing her 192nd match, going past former England captain Charlotte Edwards, the visitors got off to the better start.
But from 72/0 after 12 overs, the English batting lineup was put under pressure by the Indian spinners, who reduced them to 124/6 at one point. But Fran Wilson’s efforts in them middle order ensured India would be facing a tricky target on a pitch that was slow, low and took plenty of turn.
Mandhana, however, continued her fine form, hitting four sixes on her way to an elegant 86 but her wicket triggered a collapse. Mandhana, alongisde Harmanpreet Kaur, put together a 51-run stand for the third wicket and ensured any momentum England had gained by dismissing Devika Vaidya and Mithali Raj (for a duck) were nullified.
After Kaur was sent back by Sophie Ecclestone (4/37) for a 38-ball 21, Deepti Sharma added 64-runs with Mandhana. But the two set batters were dismissed in the batting powerplay, and soon India were in deep trouble.
And with 14 needed from 12 balls and England needing just one wicket, it looked like visitor’s stand-in captain Anya Shrubsole would get to celebrate a win.
And then, in a departure from spectacular showing in the World Cup final, Shrubsole started the 49th over with a no-ball that went for a four and ended it with another boundary, conceding 12 runs. Yadav and Bisht held their nerve in the final over, as Nat Sciver bowled a wide to give India the win with England paying the price for the 26th extras conceded.
India take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series that is happening outside the ICC Women’s Championship fixtures. The second match will also be in Nagpur, and will be played on 9 April, Monday.