Daijiworld Media Network – Birmingham
Birmingham, Jul 13: Team India may have lost the final T20I by five wickets in a nail-biting last-ball finish, but they walked away with a historic 3-2 series win over hosts England — their maiden T20 series triumph on English soil.
Batting first at Birmingham on Saturday, India posted a competitive 167 for 7, powered by Shafali Verma’s explosive 75 off 41 balls. Verma’s innings, laced with 13 fours and a six, was a dazzling display of strokeplay, especially her brutal assault on Issy Wong in the seventh over which yielded 20 runs.
Smriti Mandhana (11) and Jemimah Rodrigues (2) fell early, but a 66-run stand between Shafali and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (15) revived the innings. Charlie Dean (3/23) and Sophie Ecclestone (2/28) pegged India back in the middle overs, but Richa Ghosh’s quick 24 off 16 and Radha Yadav’s steady 14 helped push the total to 167.
England’s openers Sophia Dunkley (46) and Danielle Wyatt-Hodge (56) came out blazing, stitching a 101-run opening partnership in just 10.4 overs. India clawed back with quick wickets, and in a tense final over, Arundhati Reddy raised hopes with two strikes — clean bowling Tammy Beaumont (30) and removing Amy Jones.
However, Sophie Ecclestone and Paige Scholfield held their nerves and sealed the win off the final delivery, spoiling India’s clean finish but not their series celebration.
The teams will next face off in a three-match ODI series beginning July 16 in Southampton.