Batting falls short for England again

CRICKET: England Women fell to a seven-wicket defeat against India in the second ODI in Mumbai as the hosts secured a series victory.

Smriti Mandhana topscored for India with 63 in their successful chase after they had bowled out England for 161, in which Natalie Sciver hit 85 and Shikha Pandey and Jhulan Goswami took four wickets each.

Having won the toss and elected to bat, the tourists slumped to 14-3 as Amy Jones, Sarah Taylor and captain Heather Knight were all dismissed cheaply and Tammy Beaumont (20) then followed to make it 44-4.

Sciver and Lauren Winfield (28) produced a partnership of 49 before the latter was the first of three wickets to fall in quick succession – Georgia Elwiss and Yorkshire’s Katherine Brunt going for ducks – leaving the score at 95-7.

Having subsequently seen partners Anya Shrubsole and Sophie Ecclestone depart cheaply, Sciver then put on 42 – a new England record for the 10th wicket – with Alex Hartley before being dismissed in the 44th over by Goswami.

Pandey and Goswami finished with 4-18 and 4-30 respectively, and there were also two wickets for Poonam Yadav.

India’s reply got off to a poor start, Jemimah Rodrigues being removed for a duck by Shrubsole with only one run on the board, but was comfortable thereafter.

Mandhana put on 73 for the second wicket with Punam Raut (32) then 66 with captain Mithali Raj (47 no) for the third before being seen off by Shrubsole. India reached 162-3 in the 42nd over. Having gone 2-0 up in the three-match series, which counts towards the ICC Women’s Championship, India will look to complete a whitewash in the third ODI on Thursday.