Women’s T20Is: India show promise despite England series loss
Fielding and catching improved and young spinners Saika Ishaque and Shreyanka Patil looked the real deal despite the 1-2 scoreline
With a new coaching staff and many fresh faces in the squad, the Indian women’s cricket team returned to action after two-and-a-half months against a formidable England. It was never going to be a smooth ride and Harmanpreet Kaur’s side conceded the series after losing the first two T20Is. But with a much-improved performance that helped win the third game, they gained some assurance in the buildup for next year’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.

If the first game of the series saw India’s forgettable bowling and fielding performances, the second witnessed a major batting collapse. India’s players were expected to be rusty but the manner of the defeats, that too on home soil, raised concerns. At that point it seemed that Amol Muzumdar’s stint as head coach would begin with a whimper.
However, things clicked in the third T20I as India’s bowlers restricted England to a below-par total and the batters showed composure to close out the chase. It was a dead rubber, but the hosts approached it with determination, earning a morale-boosting win.
“The first two matches didn’t go the way we wanted them to. We knew we didn’t have to play this game as if we had lost the series. We have a long tour coming up and this win was important heading into the Test,” said vice-captain Smriti Mandhana.
In terms of positives, the performances of seamer Renuka Singh and spinners Saika Ishaque and Shreyanka Patil stood out.
Strong comeback
Renuka was returning to competitive cricket after nine months. The right-arm pacer had struggled in the Women’s Premier League in March, taking one wicket in six games, before being sidelined for a long period due to injury. But the 27-year-old didn’t waste any time in finding her best and finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the series (with England left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone).
Renuka’s strengths are swing and accuracy, which she showcased consistently with the new ball on a Wankhede Stadium pitch that always assists new-ball bowlers. In each game, she picked two wickets in the powerplay to peg England back. It was the sort of performance India would’ve been looking for from their premier bowler.
Then there were Saika and Shreyanka, who made their international debut with the series. They picked two wickets each across the first two games but showed what they’re capable of in the third. England were threatening to pull away with a partnership between skipper Heather Knight and Amy Jones but the spinners triggered a collapse through the middle overs to ensure a modest target for their team.
“Before the first game, I got here and did my routines and wanted the game to start quickly. Once I bowled my first ball, I felt sorted and realised I belong here,” said Shreyanka after bagging the Player-of-the-Match award in the third T20I.
Amanjot Kaur was another youngster who made her mark. The 23-year-old, who came on as a substitute in the second game and took a blinder, replaced Pooja Vastrakar in the third game and made key contributions. After picking two wickets, she showed nerves of steel to hit Ecclestone for three fours and complete the chase.
“I think for Amanjot to perform the way she did, hitting the world’s top-ranked bowler in a pressure situation, shows the character of this team,” said Jemimah Rodrigues.
While these new faces showed promise, some familiar concern areas remain. India have a formidable top four in Smriti, Shafali Verma, Jemimah and Harmanpreet, but they continue to lack firepower in the lower middle order. Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh, who scored 15 and 27 runs respectively across the three games, will need to take more responsibility as the young batters in the squad gain experience. In terms of pace bowling, young Titas Sadhu will be expected to keep improving as a lot depends on Renuka at the moment.
Fielding standards
Fielding is an area coach Muzumdar said he will prioritise. India showed intensity in the third game and took each of the six catches that came their way, but a lot of it was down to Jemimah, Shreyanka and Amanjot. As a unit, there is still immense scope for improvement with regards to speed and athleticism. For now, India remain well behind the standards set by England and Australia.
It’s going to be a busy month for India as they will now host England in a one-off Test before Australia visit for an all-format tour. There will be opportunities aplenty and India will find themselves in a promising position if their young squad keeps putting up a fight.
“If I look at the entire series, we kept improving day by day,” said Harmanpreet after the third T20I. “We always need more game time. Our team showed that we can keep improving if we get to keep playing.”
Jemimah added: “This series is very good preparation for the World Cup. In our first team meeting with Amol sir, we spoke about the World Cup being our ultimate goal. We set smaller goals keeping the bigger picture in mind. It’s important to give this team some time.”
