Smriti Mandhana's Blistering Century and Sree Charani's Debut Heroics Power India to Crushing T20I Victory Over England

Smriti Mandhana's magnificent century and Shree Charani's impressive bowling debut steered India to a commanding win against England in the first Women's T20I on Saturday, June 28.

Mandhana scored 112 on Saturday (Courtesy: Reuters)

While the men's team faced a tough loss at Headingley, the Indian women's team delivered a resounding 97-run defeat to England at Trent Bridge. Filling in as captain, Smriti Mandhana spearheaded the charge with a remarkable century, setting the stage for India's formidable total of 210 for five in their 20 overs.

England's Batting Woes

In pursuit of the target, the English batting lineup, with the exception of Nat Sciver-Brunt, crumbled against the Indian bowlers. This resulted in England's most substantial loss in the T20I format. Sciver-Brunt scored a valiant 66, but it was Sree Charani who stole the spotlight in her debut match, claiming four wickets for 12 runs, leading to England's all-out score of just 113 in 14.5 overs.

Harmanpreet's Absence

India faced an unexpected setback before the match began when captain Harmanpreet Kaur was sidelined due to a head injury sustained during a warm-up game. This led to Mandhana stepping in as captain on a pitch that favored the batters.

Mandhana's Explosive Start

England chose to bowl first, and Mandhana immediately took the initiative, scoring several boundaries. However, Shafali Verma struggled to find her rhythm at the other end. Despite Mandhana's impressive 31 off 19 balls during the powerplay, India only managed 47 runs in the first six overs.

Turning Point

The seventh over proved to be pivotal as Mandhana launched an aggressive attack against Sophie Eccelstone, hitting two sixes and a boundary, resulting in 19 runs off the spinner's first six deliveries.

Mandhana soon reached her 31st T20I half-century. Shafali's struggles ended with her dismissal, paving the way for Harleen Deol's arrival. Harleen seized the opportunity, contributing with confidence and four boundaries, which allowed Mandhana to further accelerate the scoring.

Century Achieved

Mandhana had long desired a century in this format, and she finally made it a reality on Saturday. The run rate soared, and the elegance of the captain's shots was evident as she reached the milestone with two well-timed boundaries, becoming only the second Indian batter to achieve this feat.

Harleen was eventually dismissed for a well-played 43 off 23 balls, triggering a flurry of wickets. Mandhana added a few more runs before being dismissed in the final over, but the damage was already done.

Charani's Bowling Masterclass

England's downfall wasn't the pitch itself but their approach to the chase. The surface remained consistent, but the English batters appeared rushed instead of pacing their innings. Sophia Dunkley was the first to fall, dismissed by Amanjot Kaur in the opening over.

Danielle Wyatt-Hodge was dismissed on the first ball of the second over, leaving the hosts in deep trouble. Sciver-Brunt stood out from her teammates, guiding them to 58 in 6 overs before Beaumont was dismissed by Deepti Sharma.

Following this, wickets continued to fall. Charani claimed her first wicket by dismissing Capsey, leaving England struggling at 71 for 5 in nine overs. Sciver-Brunt reached her half-century in 31 balls and fought a lone battle as Charani and the other bowlers cleaned up the tail.

She secured the wickets of Sciver-Brunt and Lauren Bell, sealing India's 1-0 lead in the series.

The next match is scheduled for Bristol on July 1.