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India (262/6) beat England (258/6) by four wickets
England Women’s shortcomings at the top of the order ultimately proved too costly as they slipped to a narrow four-wicket defeat in their opening ODI against India.
The batting was always going to be under the spotlight, with Nat Sciver-Brunt missing most of the preceding T20 series through injury and Heather Knight ruled out for the summer. It was also an ideal chance for some of those on the fringes to step up and cement their place with a 50-over World Cup on the horizon in the subcontinent this autumn.
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But even as India dropped five catches in the field, they were able to secure their second-best ever chase in women’s ODIs, bringing England’s unbeaten home run (stretching back to 2023) to an end.
In the last few years, in the absence of Knight and Sciver-Brunt, England have struggled to dominate with bat in hand, and the contest in Southampton started off in exactly the same fashion.
Amy Jones had been successful at the top of the order against West Indies with back-to-back centuries, and in domestic cricket this year, but made just one run off seven deliveries.
Tammy Beaumont made five, while Emma Lamb took the time to get herself in and set a platform with 39 from 50, but was unable to push on – something that is almost inexcusable with a strike rate of just 78.
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Alice Davidson-Richards and Sophia Dunkley put on 106 runs for the fifth wicket, but they did so slowly, taking more than 20 overs to do so – and crucially neither were able to push on and inflict a match-winning score on India.
Dunkley brought up her half-century from 68 balls, with Davidson-Richards a touch slower, bringing up her milestone from 70 deliveries.
Sophia Dunkley top-scored with 83 but she could not press on to make her century and help England post the 20 or so runs they needed to set an above-par target – ECB via Getty Images/Alex Davidson
England’s acceleration did come, but it was only in the final few overs of the innings, and their first innings total of 258 looked under-par on a good batting surface with a quick outfield. Dunkley even admitted that despite her own 83, England were “20 runs short” on the day.
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It was not a game for the ages, but instead a slightly low-scoring and at times scrappy affair in Southampton.
With India 214 for four, and needing another 44 runs, Lauren Filer made the crucial breakthrough to stem India’s momentum, with the ball just scratching Jemimah Rodrigues’s glove on the way through to Jones.
Richa Ghosh had looked settled, but fell for just 10 leaving India 229 for six as England started to gain the upper hand.
India may look at their shot choices and question whether a ramp and a charge down the track were necessary given the circumstances, but it was because of the pressure England – and Filer – had built up so successfully.
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However even in the second innings there were questions raised and issues that England will have to address. When India needed 50 from the final 60 deliveries, Deepti Sharma was struck on the pad by Lauren Bell, who did appeal but not with great conviction.
Ball tracking later showed the delivery would have crashed into leg stump, and the ball also went away for four leg-byes. Should England have made the decision to review, it could have changed the course of the final run chase. But India won with 10 balls to spare when Beaumont dived over the ball and let it go for four.
Charlotte Edwards insisted when she took over that what mattered was winning matches. Yet again her side fell short.
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