The Indian women's team suffered an 8-wicket defeat against England in the second ODI. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur blamed the batters for the loss, stating that they should have batted better. Now, the team has a chance to clinch the series by winning the final match on July 22.
INDW vs ENGW 2nd ODI: The Indian women's cricket team faced a heavy defeat in the second match of the three-match ODI series being played on the England tour. In this rain-affected match, India suffered an 8-wicket loss under the Duckworth-Lewis rule. After this match, Captain Harmanpreet Kaur spoke plainly, citing the batsmen's failure as the main reason for the defeat. The series is now tied 1-1, and the third ODI stands at a critical juncture.
Rain Spoils the Game, Batting Becomes a Concern
In this match played at Lord's, the Indian team, after winning the toss and electing to bat first, faced stumbles from the start. In the stipulated 29 overs, the Indian team could only score 143 runs, losing 8 wickets. The top order completely failed, preventing the team from gaining any stability. Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and captain Harmanpreet herself couldn't contribute much with the bat. On the other hand, England's bowling was very accurate and disciplined. Fast bowler Freya Kemp and spinner Sophie Ecclestone tied down the Indian batsmen and wickets kept falling regularly.
Harmanpreet's Statement: 'We Performed Disappointingly'
When Captain Harmanpreet Kaur was spoken to after the match, she showed no hesitation in taking responsibility for the loss. She clearly stated, 'We should have batted better on this pitch. We couldn't handle the conditions properly. The England bowlers kept us under pressure and they deserve credit for that.' Harmanpreet also acknowledged that the conditions after the rain favored the bowlers, but the team should have batted with balance even in such circumstances. 'The weather was definitely challenging, but as an international team, we should have handled it better,' she added.
Bowlers Had No Answer
The Indian bowlers also didn't look as effective in this match. Only Renuka Singh looked somewhat impressive, but England's opening batting partnership completely made the match one-sided. From England, Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight played brilliant innings and achieved the modest target set by India in just 24.3 overs.
The Real Test Will Be in the Last Match
Now the series is tied 1-1 and the third match will be played on July 22, which will be decisive. This match will be like a 'do or die' for the Indian team, because on one hand, it is a golden opportunity to win the series, and on the other hand, preparations for the upcoming ODI World Cup will also gain momentum from it. It is also expected from the team management that some changes can be made in the playing eleven for the final match. Young players may get a chance, or the team may try to create team balance by reshuffling the batting order.
Opportunity to Boost Confidence
The Indian women's team had a great start to the England tour by winning the T20 series 3-2. If they are now able to win the ODI series as well, it will strengthen the preparations for the World Cup. The confidence of Harmanpreet and the team will also increase with this, which will enable the players to perform even better in the upcoming tournaments.
