Mumbai, Dec 9 (PTI) Jemimah Rodrigues was the lone bright spot as India put up a shoddy batting show to be dismissed for 80 by England in the second women’s T20I here on Saturday.
On a day uncapped cricketers won fat pay-cheques in the WPL auction, Shafali Verma (0), Smriti Mandhana (10), skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (9), Deepti Sharma (0) cut a sorry figure with poor shot selection as England bowlers made merry after opting to bowl to bundle India out in 16.2 overs.
Rodrigues was the top-scorer with a 33-ball 30, and one of the two batters to get into double digit scores, in a bizarre display by the Indian batters.
Batting at No 3, Jemimah saw wickets falling around her as she had no option but to acclerate.
She looked in fine touch, hitting back-to-back boundaries with some crisp sweep shots but only to be dismissed in the same over with Sarah Glenn trapping her LBW.
It was a clinical display by England as all their six bowlers returned with at least one wicket.
Charlie Dean (4-0-16-2), Lauren Bell (3-0-18-2), Sophie Ecclestone (3.2-0-13-2) and Sarah Glenn (3-1-13-2) bagged two wickets each.
Ecclestone, who took a stunning left-handed return catch to dismiss Richa Ghosh (4), gave the final blow when she pushed one through Saika Ishaque’s defence to bring curtains on Indian innings.
This was the third lowest target set by India against England.
Opting to bowl, Heather Knight straightway started off with spin as Charlotte Dean inflicted a double blow in successive overs (2-0-4-2) to give England a perfect start.
The off-spinner fired a straighter one in and Shafali looked to work it towards leg but completely missed and was trapped in front to be dismissed for a two-ball duck.
Going with a change of ends, Dean this time dismissed Smriti Mandhana (10) LBW after being hit on her back pad.
Harmanpreet looked to attack and paddled away Nat Sciver-Brunt for successive fours but the England seamer had the last laugh and had the Indian skipper plumb with a delivery that jagged back in.
Sophie then pulled off an absolute blinder of a return catch to dismiss Richa Ghosh for four as India found themselves in deep trouble with half of their side back in pavillion for 37.
One-up in the three-match series, England need a win to seal the series.
India lost by 38 runs in the first T20I.
Source: PTI News
