England beat India by four wickets to register their first win of the 2022 Women's World Cup. In a low-scoring game, England won with 112 balls in hand, which also provided them a hefty net run rate boost. India, on the other hand, are now placed third, with the same points as New Zealand and West Indies.
Heather Knight won the toss and opted to bowl as both teams went with unchanged XIs from their last match. Anya Shrubsole struck early, getting Yastika Bhatia in the fourth over and Mithali Raj in the sixth. Deepti Sharma was then run out for a 10-ball duck, leaving India reeling at 28/3.
All hopes rested on Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, centurions of the last match. This time, however, they could add only 33 in 8.2 overs Charlie Dean claimed Kaur. Sneh Rana, promoted up the order, fell for a duck in the same over, and England never looked back.
Mandhana, England's last obstacle, went to Sophie Ecclestone – the top-ranked bowler in the world – for 35. She tried to save herself using the DRS, but the replays revealed an umpire’s-call impact. India slumped to 71/6. Barring the Bengal duo of Richa Ghosh and Jhulan Goswami, the rest caved in.
Ghosh (33) and Goswami (20) and added 37 for the eighth wicket, the biggest partnership of the match for India. The stand was broken by a run out, thanks to brilliant fielding from Nat Sciver. Dean picked up the last wicket and finished with 4-23 – she was named Player of the Match – as India’s final total was 134.
England then lost openers Danni Wyatt and Tammy Beaumont inside three overs as Meghna Singh and Goswami struck once each. Goswami almost had Sciver early when the ball hit the stumps but failed to dislodge a bail. Then, from 4/2, a 65-run partnership between Knight and Sciver took them to a comfortable score. Sciver eventually top-edged a pull off Pooja Vastrakar for 45.
Knight (53*) completed her fifty in the 28th over. England lost Amy Jones for 10, and Meghna (3-26) returned to claim Sophia Dunkley (17) and Katherine Brunt (0). However, all that came too late.
India 134 in 36.2 overs (Smriti Mandhana 35; Charlie Dean 4-23) lost to England 136/6 in 31.2 overs (Heather Knight 53*; Meghna Singh 3-26) by 4 wickets with 110 balls to spare. Player of the Match: Charlie Dean.