Experienced batter Jemimah Rodrigues and all-rounder Amanjot Kaur starred as India beat England by 24 runs at the County Ground in Bristol on Tuesday.
Buoyed by the return of skipper Harmanpreet Kaur to the playing XI, India packed a punch to go up 2-0 in the five-match series.
Asked to bat first for a second time in a row, the women in blue did not have the best of starts as openers Shafali Verma (3) and Smriti Mandhana (13) failed to make an impact.
It went from bad to worse as the returning Harmanpreet also managed just a solitary run to leave India reeling at 31/3 in 5.1 overs.
This is when Amanjot joined hands with Jemimah at the crease. The duo added 93 runs for the fourth wicket in just 9.1 overs before Jemimah was prized out Lauren Bell.
Jemimah hit nine boundaries and a six in her 41-ball 63 as she bailed India out of trouble with Amanjot for company.
Despite losing Jemimah prematurely, Amanjot continued to roll on from the other end. She finished unbeaten on 63 off 40 deliveries with nine boundaries.
Amanjot found an able ally in Richa Ghosh, who provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 20-ball 32 – an innings laced with six boundaries – to help India post a competitive 181/4 in their 20 overs.
Chasing a stiff total, England got off to a nightmarish start as they were reduced to 17/3 in just 3.3 overs.
While opener Sophia Dunkley (1) was run out, Deepti Sharma removed her partner Danielle Wyatt-Hodge (1). Nat Sciver-Brunt, half centurion from the last match, did not last long either as Amanjot sent her packing for just 13.
Tammy Beaumont (54) and Amy Jones (32) then steadied the ship for England with a 70-run partnership for the fifth wicket, but a mix-up while running between the wickets saw the former walk back.
Beaumont’s wicket all but derailed England’s hopes of equalising the series despite a late cameo from Sophie Ecclestone (35).
For India, left-arm spinner Sree Charani emerged as the most successful bowler with figures of 2/28 as England were restricted to 157/7 in their 20 overs.
