Sunday, 04 July 2021 | PTI | Worcester
Skipper Mithali Raj played a captain’s knock to guide India Women to a consolation four-wicket win over England Women in the third and final ODI here on Saturday.
Chasing 220, Mithali, who became the highest run-getter across all formats in women’s cricket on Saturday, anchored India’s chase with an unbeaten 75 off 86 balls as the visitors surpassed England’s 219 all out in 46.3 overs.
Besides Mithali, opener Smriti Mandhana made 49 while Sneh Rana played a 22-ball 24-run cameo towards the end.
For England, Sophie Ecclestone (2/36) picked up two wickets.
Earlier, India spinners took wickets at regular intervals to nullify a promising start by England as the tourists bundled out the hosts for 219.
India invited England to bat under overcast conditions after the contest became a 47-overs per side affair but as has been the case in the series, the hosts largely remained untroubled.
They were placed comfortably at 110 for two but their strategy to attack Indian spinners resulted in wickets falling in clutches with a middle-order collapse.
Natalie Sciver’s confident 49 and Heather Knight’s composed 46 propped the England innings while Deepti Sharma (3/47) took three wickets for India. Sophia Dunkley (28) and Kate Cross (16 not out) chipped in with useful cameos.
Sneh Rana (1/31), Poonam Yadav (1/43) and Harmanpreet Kaur (1/24)accounted for one batter each.
Highest run-getter
India captain Mithali Raj became the highest run-getter in women’s cricket across formats, overtaking former England skipper Charlotte Edwards here on Saturday. The talismanic India batter got to the milestone with a boundary down the ground off Nat Schiver in the 23rd over.
Mithali now became the world’s most prolific batter in women’s Internationals, overtaking Edwards’ 10,273 runs.
