Chester-le-Street, England: India has set a daunting target of 319 runs for England in the decisive final ODI at Chester-le-Street, thanks to a magnificent century from captain Harmanpreet Kaur and a half-century from Jemimah Rodrigues. With the series finely poised at 1-1, India posted a commanding total of 318 for 5 in their allotted 50 overs.

Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front, scoring 102 runs off just 84 balls. Her innings marked a significant return to form, as it was her first fifty-plus score in 13 ODI innings, and her seventh ODI century overall. This milestone also saw her become the third Indian woman to surpass 4,000 runs in Women’s ODIs, joining Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj in the elite club.

She received excellent support from Jemimah Rodrigues, who contributed a brisk 50 runs off 45 balls, and both Smriti Mandhana and Harleen Deol, who each chipped in with 45 runs.

Key Partnerships and Missed Opportunities

Rodrigues displayed aggressive intent, particularly against off-spinner Charlie Dean, hitting multiple boundaries across the ground. Harmanpreet, despite receiving attention from the team physio for a lower back complaint, continued to find the fence, playing impactful sweeps and clips.

A crucial moment in the innings came when Harmanpreet was on 22, with the team score at 132 for 2. England had an opportunity to dismiss her when Lauren Filer struck her pad, but the home side opted against a review, a decision they might now regret as replays indicated she would have been out.

Harmanpreet eventually brought up her century by driving a flighted delivery from Linsey Smith through mid-off. Her innings concluded when she chipped a drive to Nat Sciver-Brunt, who took a sharp diving catch at cover.

Ecclestone’s Economical Spell Amidst England’s Struggles

England’s bowling attack largely struggled against India’s onslaught, with most bowlers conceding runs at a high rate. The exception was Sophie Ecclestone, the world’s No.1 ODI bowler, who proved to be the most economical, taking 1 wicket for just 28 runs from her ten overs. This strong performance comes after Ecclestone revealed in a pre-match interview that she had considered quitting cricket in the wake of the off-field controversies surrounding England’s T20 World Cup and Ashes failures.

Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell, Charlie Dean, and Linsey Smith each managed to pick up a solitary wicket but were expensive in their spells.

Harmanpreet’s decision to bat first after winning the toss, a rare occurrence for India this tour, raised some eyebrows given the overcast conditions. However, she explained her intent was to give her four-pronged spin attack a substantial total to defend. England now faces the monumental task of achieving the highest successful run-chase in women’s ODI history to win the series.