India will look to secure the five-match women’s T20I series against England when the two teams meet in the fourth match on Wednesday in Manchester. With a 2-1 lead in the series, India is eyeing a strong finish, but skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and opener Shafali Verma will need to step up with the bat for the team to seal the deal.
Both batters showed promise in the last match at the Oval but couldn’t convert their starts. Shafali smashed a 25-ball 47, while Harmanpreet chipped in with 23 off 17 balls. However, their early dismissals hurt India’s momentum and played a part in England winning the game by five runs.
Middle Order Carries India, Bowlers Impress
So far, India has relied on Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Amanjot Kaur to anchor the batting. On the bowling front, spinners N Shree Charani and Deepti Sharma have impressed with 8 and 6 wickets respectively, while pacer Arundhati Reddy has picked up 4 wickets. However, Radha Yadav and Amanjot Kaur need to tighten their economy, having conceded over 8 runs per over.
Harmanpreet, who missed the first game due to a head injury, has yet to find form after returning. Shafali, too, is looking for a big score after returning from an eight-month break. Their experience will be vital in keeping England from making a comeback.
England Struggles to Finish Strong Despite Good Starts
England, on the other hand, must improve their middle-order batting. Despite fifties from openers Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge in the third T20I, the team collapsed from 137 for one to 171 for nine. Their bowlers, apart from pacer Lauren Bell, also failed to contain the Indian lineup.
India will go into the match with confidence but will need all departments firing to wrap up the series in their favor. The fourth T20I promises to be a crucial contest for both sides ahead of the final match.
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