Kranti Goud six wicket haul, Harmanpreet’s century seals series for India 2-1 against England

DURHAM(UK): CC’s six-wicket haul powered India to a thrilling win of 13 runs against England in the third 3rd ODI at Riverside Ground, Chester-Le-Street on Wednesday to clinch the series 2-1.

Goud became the second youngest to take a 5-fer for India (after Deepti Sharma, aged 18y 179d), achieving a maiden 5-wicket haul in just her fourth ODI only Purnima Choudhary, on her debut, has achieved this earlier in her Indian career.

Chasing a huge target of 319, England started poorly, losing two wickets in 2 overs. Goud removed both the openers for 4 and 2. Emma Lamb and England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt from their counterattacked Indian bowlers and added 162 runs for the third wicket.

Both the batters made a vital fifty, but Shree Charani in the 31st over cleaned up Lamb for a 68 off 81 balls to break the partnership, which was taking the game away from India.

Sciver-Brunt missed out on a well-deserved century as Deepti Sharma removed her for 98 off 105 balls in the 35th over; her innings included 11 fours. Alice Davidson Richards tried to up the run rate and made a fighting 44 off 34 balls before Goud removed her in the 48th over.

Goud removed Lauren Bell in the final over of the match to seal the deal for India and figure with a brilliant figure of 6/52.

Earlier in the match, a stellar century from the Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur powered India to 318/5 against England in the 3rd ODI at Riverside Ground, Chester-Le-Street on Tuesday. Richa Ghosh slammed 38 off 18 balls with a strike rate of 211.11 to storm past India’s 300-run mark.

England would need 319 runs to win the series. Kaur smashed bowlers all over the park to complete 4000 ODI runs. She became only the third Indian woman batter to slam 4000 runs behind Mandhana and legendary batter Mithali Raj.

India won the toss and opted to bat first in the third and final ODI against England at Chester-le-Street with the series level at 1-1. Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana opened the innings for India. The duo added 64 before Rawal was removed for 26 in the 13th over by Charlie Dean.

England soon after removed Mandhana for 45 in the 18th over. Her innings included five fours, and the Indian skipper walked out on the crease alongside Harleen Deol.

Kaur and Deol added 81 runs for the fourth wicket before Deol was removed by Lauren Bell for 45 off 65 balls, including four fours, and Jemimah Rodrigues joined Kaur in the middle.

She also completed her seventh hundred in one day. Kaur, alongside Rodrigues, added 110 runs for the fifth wicket before Rodrigues, after an impactful innings of 50 off 45 balls, was removed in the 46th over by Lauren Filer.

Kaur was also removed two overs later for a brilliant 102 off 84 balls, including 14 fours. Kaur slammed the second-fastest hundred by an Indian women batter in ODI. This is India’s eighth score of 300 or more since January 2024.

All England bowlers took a wicket each, with Sophie Ecclestone being the pick of the bowlers. (ANI)