On Sunday, England Women and India Women will meet for the second T20I, at the County Ground in Hove. England already have a 1-0 lead in the series after winning the rain-curtailed first T20I. In the combined point system, they are 8-4 ahead, and India can level only if they manage to win both the remaining matches of the tour.
Nat Sciver and Amy Jones as good as sealed the first T20I with a partnership of 82 to help England put up a score beyond the Indians’ reach once Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana fell. However, the Indians looked sharp on the field, and had some brilliant moments highlighted by the Harleen Deol’s acrobatic effort that became an instant social media sensation.
There is a considerable gap between the two teams. The Indians need to improve in key areas if they want to register a win in the next game. The Indian bowlers started tightly in the first match but looked clueless against the counterattack by Sciver and Jones. The team management want to adapt to counter such situations in the next two matches.
England had rested the experienced Anya Shrubsole for the first match. They may now want to rest Katherine Brunt and play Shrubsole instead. Tammy Beaumont and Danni Wyatt provided them a good start with a 50-plus opening stand. With Lauren Winfield-Hill in the reserves, England have an enviable problem of riches.
The Indian batting is heavily dependent on Verma and Mandhana, and they will hope for the other batters to contribute. They are likely to back Deol at No. 3. However, with Harmanpreet Kaur herself struggling for form, the middle order looks brittle.
Likely XIs
England Women: Tammy Beaumont, Danielle Wyatt, Nat Sciver, Heather Knight (c), Amy Jones, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Katherine Brunt, Sara Glenn, Mady Villiers, Freya Davis.
India Women: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Sneh Rana, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav.
Prediction
England to win and take a 2-0 lead.