Bristol fortress breached by India as England swatted aside courtesy Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur fifties.
Rodrigues, Amanjot help India breach fortress Bristol.
India took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series after handily defeating England for the second straight game. Despite Tammy Beaumont’s aggressive fifty, the spinners all contributed to keeping England’s chase at bay, and Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur pulled India out of trouble with lively half-centuries.
Following a historic loss in the first game of the series at Trent Bridge, England stuck to the same lineup and strategy that Nat Sciver-Brunt had India use. India was reduced to 31 for 3 in the powerplay by England’s seamers, who then decisively took the game away from them with a fourth-wicket stand of 93 in 55 balls.
After a sluggish start, Rodrigues rallied to hit a string of boundaries before falling for 63 off 41. As India achieved the second-highest total in women’s T20 internationals at Bristol, Amanjot was equally full of fire, scoring her first T20I fifty and added an undefeated partnership of 57 with Richa Ghosh. India’s third-highest total for the second half of a women’s Twenty20 International innings was 117 runs, which was leaked in the final 10 overs.
England saw their own powerplay dip at 17 for 3, with Amanjot taking the crucial wicket of Sciver-Brunt. Beaumont added 70 off 49 with Amy Jones to reach her first T20I half-century in four years, but as the necessary rate increased, Sneh Rana’s brilliant throw ran her out.
Sophie Ecclestone made 35 off 23 with some late hitting, demonstrating her versatility, but it was insufficient, leaving Sciver-Brunt and England coach Charlotte Edwards with a lot to think about before Friday’s pivotal match at the Kia Oval.