England Fight Back as India Eye Series Win in Tense T20I at Old Trafford
The fourth T20I between England Women and India Women at Old Trafford was everything you'd want in a high-stakes series clash—intensity, nerves, and no shortage of talking points. India came into this game with a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, with the aim of wrapping things up before Saturday's finale. But England, knowing that defeat would hand India the series, showed fight right from the toss.
England skipper Tammy Beaumont won the toss and chose to bat first, hoping to replicate the success from their narrow five-run win at The Oval. Under the bright sunshine at Old Trafford, a venue hosting its first ever Women’s T20 International, the pressure was palpable.
Openers Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge strode out confidently, but early breakthroughs from India set the tone. Wyatt-Hodge fell for just 5, caught by Reddy off Shree Charani, who has been a consistent wicket-taker throughout this series. Then, Dunkley, who looked to be settling into form with a flurry of boundaries, was deceived by Deepti Sharma’s flight and caught by Radha Yadav for 22. Two key wickets down, England found themselves under pressure at 33-2.
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Alice Capsey, brought in at No. 3, tried to stabilize the innings. There were some nervy moments—a top-edge that just cleared the keeper, and a bold swipe down the ground—but England's run rate was modest. The spinners—especially Sharma and Charani—applied the squeeze, making boundaries hard to come by on a large and lush outfield. At one point, England looked to be heading for a sub-par total of around 130, well below their 180+ score from the previous game.
For India, it wasn’t just about containing England but also maintaining momentum with the ball. The trio of Shree Charani, Deepti Sharma, and Arundhati Reddy have been the backbone of India’s bowling in this series. Charani added another scalp to her growing tally, bringing her to nine wickets across four games. With support from Sharma (6 wickets) and Reddy (4), India’s bowling unit has truly clicked.
The game also marked a personal milestone for Sophie Ecclestone—100 T20I caps, and fittingly, at her home ground. Though she’s been out of form recently, the crowd’s appreciation and a presentation from Everton legend Phil Jagielka surely gave her a lift.
But while England are scrapping hard to keep the series alive, India knows this is their best chance to finish things off. With explosive batters like Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur yet to fire on all cylinders in the series, there’s a sense that one big knock could tilt things decisively in India’s favor.
If England’s bowlers can defend whatever total their batters put up—and that’s still a big ‘if’—we’re heading for a thrilling finish on Saturday at Edgbaston. But for now, all eyes are on whether England can hold their nerve tonight and take it to the decider, or if India will seal the deal and celebrate an away series triumph at the historic Old Trafford.
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