India aim for first T20I series win

Bristol

India’s women’s cricket team is just one win away from making history. The team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, is chasing its first-ever T20I series victory over England on Friday (today). They currently lead the five-match series 2-0 after two strong performances.

In the first match, India stunned England with a massive 97-run win — their biggest T20I defeat ever. Then, in Bristol, India sealed another win by 24 runs. It was England’s first T20I loss at that ground.

The Indian team has never won a series against England before, either at home or away. Their only T20I win in England came back in 2006. This current success is giving the squad a boost ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup, also to be played in England.

India’s players have been in great form. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana scored a century. Harleen Deol, Amanjot Kaur, and Jemimah Rodrigues made key runs. Left-arm spinner Sree Charani has been outstanding in her debut series, taking six wickets and keeping the run rate low.

Shafali Verma, a powerful hitter, hasn’t had much success yet but will hope to turn things around in the third match. Harmanpreet Kaur, who returned in the second match after an injury, will also want to play a longer innings.

England, meanwhile, have struggled. Their openers, especially Danni Wyatt-Hodge, haven’t scored many runs. Their bowlers haven’t impressed either.

The third match is set for Friday (today), with the game starting at 11:05 pm IST. A win for India would not just seal the series but also write a new chapter in Indian women’s cricket.