The Indian women's team inflicted the largest defeat in T20I history on England. Under the captaincy of Smriti Mandhana, the Indian team made a resounding start to the five-match T20I series on Saturday, June 28, with a brilliant 97-run victory.
IND vs ENG: The Indian women's cricket team began the five-match T20 series against England in such a manner that it shattered the hosts' morale in the very first match. In the opening match of the series played at the Nottingham ground, India defeated England by a massive margin of 97 runs, securing a dominant win. This victory was not just the beginning of the series, but also a declaration of India's strength and preparation.
Team India, batting first, scored a massive 210 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 20 overs. Captain Smriti Mandhana stunned the English bowlers with her explosive batting, scoring a century. She played a magnificent innings of 112 runs, which included 14 fours and 4 towering sixes. Harleen Deol contributed with a good partnership, scoring 43 runs.
England faced a mountainous target of 211 runs, but the Indian bowlers did not allow them to settle. The English team was bundled out for a mere 113 runs in 14.5 overs. India's young left-arm spinner, Shree Charani, took four wickets in her debut match, breaking the back of England's batting lineup. The English batters' patience was tested and they faltered.
Nottingham witnessed England's biggest defeat
In this match, the England women's team suffered their biggest defeat in T20 International history. The 97-run defeat shook the host team. England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt certainly played a courageous innings of 66 runs, but the other batters could not withstand the Indian bowlers.
Apart from Shree Charani, Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav also took 2 wickets each for India, dashing England's hopes. The entire team did not seem to be in rhythm even once, and India's planned bowling gave them no chance to recover.
Team India's historic win
This victory proved to be the Indian women's team's fourth-largest win by run margin in T20 international cricket. Earlier, India had registered big wins by defeating South Africa by 104 runs in 2018, Sri Lanka by 99 runs in 2023, and Bangladesh by 98 runs in 2022. The way Team India, under the captaincy of Smriti Mandhana, demonstrated a balance of composure and aggression, showed that this team is not just aiming to win the series, but to establish its dominance on a global level.
While Mandhana and Harleen's partnership laid the foundation in batting, Shree Charani broke the back of the England innings in bowling. The next match of the series will now be played on July 1 in Bristol, where the England team will try their best to make a comeback. But it will not be easy for them to prepare mentally after the setback they received in the first match. India's bowling and batting both have high confidence at this time, and England will face a tough challenge.
