India Women vs England Women 3rd T20I Full Commentary

Welcome back for England's reply. Out walk the two umpires. The Indian players have taken their respective fielding spots. Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley are the two English openers making their way to the crease. And it will be Arundhati Reddy to bowl the first over of the run chase. Dunkley to face. Here we go again.

... THE RUN CHASE ...

A big task ahead to save the series - England may have a very strong head-to-head record against India, but to avoid the repeat of 2025, they will have to execute their second-highest T20I run chase for that. The pitch is slowish, but decent, and the boundaries short, so they have a chance, but scoring quickly has not been their strength this summer. A strong start through their openers is a non-negotiable and India will aim to hit that vulnerable spot right away. An interesting run chase coming up. Stay tuned.

A couple of partnerships helped India recover - England had India wobbling a bit again after Bell's beauty sent Rodrigues back, but Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma dug in together and stopped the rot. The pair took their time finding their feet, allowing England to keep a lid on things through a quiet middle stretch, but their stand ensured there was no further slide. Once she had her eye in, Kaur found her fluency and began to push on and went on to score a fantastic half-century that saw India touch exactly 180.

England struck early in the first half - Spin did the early damage as India lost both openers inside the first four overs, with Mandhana and Shafali failing to make any impression against the hosts. Yastika Bhatia walked in with positive intent and kept the board ticking, but a run out ended her stay and left India reeling at 60/3, suddenly staring at a serious rebuilding task. That came through a responsible partnership between Rodrigues and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, as the two added 40 runs together.

Decent finish for the tourists - So India manage to touch that 180-run figure with a good second half overall. There was a bit of a slowdown in the run rate once Rodrigues got out, but they prevented England from making inroads regularly. However, India's running between the wickets was a concern, though, with the batters looking hesitant to push for the quick singles or doubles. England, on the other hand, were equally sharp in the field.

Has Dean saved two runs for her team? Looks like it. She slid to her left and flicked the ball just in the nick of time, cleanly. There's no part of her body in contact with the boundary ropes while holding the ball in her hand.

Righto, time for the final over of the first inning. Sophie Ecclestone (3-0-21-0) to wrap up.

The 67-run partnership is broken by Bell, and this is her 7th wicket this series. Richa Ghosh is in at number 7.

Lauren Bell (3-0-29-1) will bowl the penultimate over.

30 runs in the last 3 overs, and this Indian inning is gathering steam just at the right moment. England have been solid in the field so far, but they will look to dismiss Kaur as quickly as possible. Linsey Smith (3-0-31-1) is back on for her last over.

That's a wrap - There is still some preparation to come for both sides, with a couple of warm-up games scheduled before the World Cup begins. England will take on Australia on June 8, while India face the West Indies on the same day. These two sides will then meet once again in their final warm-up fixture on June 10 as they put the finishing touches on their preparations. Until then, take care and goodbye.

Time for the trophy lift - Charlie Dean collects the trophy and joins her teammates for the celebrations. A happy England group, and with Nat Sciver-Brunt expected to be fit for the global event, there is every reason for optimism heading into a home World Cup. As for India, while their openers did not fire in Games 1 and 3, they still managed to post 188 and 180. That ability to find contributors throughout the order will be a significant positive as they turn their attention towards the global event.

The skipper of England - Charlie Dean says that the girls took on the Powerplay exactly as asked, and credits the brilliant partnership between Capsey and Knight as the reason they were able to pull off a record chase. She says those are the standards the team wants to set for themselves. She does admit that it was hard to maintain their level in the field when runs were leaking, but says she is happy with the way the girls responded. On her bowling, she says she is really enjoying it at the moment despite being a touch expensive on the day, adding that she has different plans in her armoury and finds that exciting. On leading the side, she adds she has learnt a huge amount about herself through the experience. She admits it may have felt like a daunting challenge but says she enjoyed every bit of it and felt well supported by the girls. She adds that she has grown significantly from it, and that while she may have been nervous going into something like this previously, she now feels ready for the transition, with Nat expected to return to the setup soon. On the chase itself, she calls it brilliant, praising the way the batters picked their moments and handled the bowling. Says the calmness they showed meant there was never any doubt in the dugout.

The captain of India - Harmanpreet Kaur feels that they were just one wicket away from opening the game up after England slipped to 3 down early, but admits the partnership between Alice Capsey and Heather Knight completely took the contest away from them. Looking ahead, she says there are plenty of positives for India to take into the World Cup and adds that the team management is largely clear about the playing XI they want for the tournament. However, with a couple of warm-up games still to come, there remains room to experiment with combinations and assess a few options. She also highlights the value of arriving early and spending time in local conditions, saying the side is already getting accustomed to the environment and will look to make the most of every day of preparation before the World Cup begins.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH -  For her stunning knock of 82 runs from 43 balls, Alice Capsey has been given the award. She is also named the PLAYER OF THE SERIES. Capsey says it is pleasing to get over the line, noting the team had spoken a lot about chasing down big totals. She speaks highly of Knight's calmness at the crease and says it was good batting alongside her. She adds that she simply tried to stay with the rate throughout. On adjusting after the flurry of early wickets, she says India bowled pretty well up top and that using her feet was the key for her, aiming straight and finding the ball coming on nicely. On her straight hitting, she says the pitch was playing well and that aiming straight felt like the right option, having noticed the Indian batters getting good value from that area. She says she simply tried to emulate that. On whether she has a favourite batting position, she says she does not think she has one and that batting for England and contributing is all that matters to her.

Time for the presentation ceremony...

Middle order kept India afloat - After opting to bowl first, England threw the first punch in the decider by dismissing both Indian openers early, but Yastika Bhatia and Jemimah Rodrigues helped India recover from the early setbacks and wrest back some of the momentum. Following Rodrigues' dismissal, the innings went through a brief lull before Harmanpreet Kaur, with Deepti Sharma for company, helped the tourists finish well. 67 runs came from the final 7 overs as India posted 180, which looked competitive at the halfway stage but ultimately proved insufficient on the night.

Early trouble, then complete control - That was the story of this run chase from the hosts. England lost three wickets inside the Powerplay and found themselves in early trouble before Alice Capsey launched a brilliant counterattack that completely changed the complexion of the chase. Heather Knight complemented her beautifully, and together they made a conscious effort against Deepti Sharma and Sree Charani to ensure they never settled into a rhythm. With two of India's biggest weapons blunted, the pair seized complete control with a 137-run stand and left Harmanpreet Kaur's side chasing shadows.

England ace the chase to clinch the series - A statement victory at just the right time as the hosts pull off their highest successful run chase at home in women's T20Is. Having already beaten New Zealand earlier in the summer, England now add India to the list as they carry strong momentum and renewed belief into a home World Cup. After the early success with the ball, once England's counterpunch arrived, India never quite found an answer. Looking at how the surface played, one also wonders whether the tourists could have afforded to be a little more aggressive with the bat.

Disappointment on the face of Alice Capsey. She wanted to be there right till the end. Freya Kemp is the new batter.