Smriti’s historic ton, Charani’s fiery debut spell guides India to 97-run win over England in 1st T20I

NOTTINGHAM(UK): A historic century by stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana and a fiery spell from debutant spinner Shree Charani guided India to a dominant 97-run win over England in the first T20I at Nottingham on Saturday.

With this win, India has a series lead of 1-0 in the five-match affair. The second T20I will be played at Bristol at July 1.

England won the toss and opted to bowl first. A 77-run opening stand between Mandhana and Shafali Varma (20 in 22 balls, with three fours) kicked things off for India as India made 47 of them during the six-over powerplay.

A 94-run stand followed for the second wicket between Mandhana and Harleen Deol (43 in 23 balls, with seven fours), with India reaching the 100-run mark in 10.1 overs. Tremendous ball-striking was on display from the duo.

India touched 200-run mark in 19.1 overs and they managed to reach 210/5 in 20 overs, with Lauren Bell (3/27) delivering some late strikes, removing Harleen, wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh (12) and Jemimah Rodrigues (0) unbeaten.

India utilised their middle overs phase well (overs 7 to 16), hitting 124 runs scored by India in the middle overs (7-16), the most ever scored by them in this phase of the game.

Mandhana smashed a brutal 112 in 62 balls, with 15 fours and three sixes, with a strike rate of over 180, becoming India’s first-ever all-format centurion in women’s cricket and only second after Harmanpreet Kaur to score a T20I century. This is also the highest score by an Indian women’s cricketer in T20Is. 78 of her runs came through boundaries, the most by an Indian in women’s T20I innings, as per ESPNCricinfo.

Overall, across the world, only five players have achieved this massive accomplishment of being an all-format centurion in women’s cricket, with England’s Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont, South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt and Australia’s Beth Mooney being others besides Mandhana.

This is India’s second-best total in T20Is, bettered only by 217/4 against West Indies. This is also their highest total away from home in the shortest format of the game.

Em Arlott (1/38) and Sophie Ecclestone (1/43) were also among the wickets.

During the run chase, England lost their openers Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt for single digits, reduced to 9/2. But a partnership of 49 runs between skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt (66 in 42 balls, with 10 fours) and Tammy Beaumont (10) stabilised the innings until England lost Tammy on the last ball of the powerplay, which ended at a score of 58/3.

From there, it was downhill for England as spinners Charani (4/12) and Radha Yadav (2/15) triggered a batting collapse, shutting down England for just 113 runs in 14.5 overs. This is England’s biggest loss in terms of runs in women’s T20Is.

Charani made it to the history books, becoming the second Indian bowler to bag a four-fer on Women’s T20I debut, after Sravanthi Naidu’s 4/9 vs BAN-W at Cox’s Bazar in 2014.

Deepti Sharma (2/32) was also impressive with the ball, while Amanjot Kaur and Arundhati Reddy managed a wicket each.
Mandhana took home the ‘Player of the Match’ honours. (ANI)