Indore, Oct 19 (NationPress) In a match that resembled a thrilling rollercoaster ride, England showcased their resilience by securing a nail-biting four-run victory over India at the Holkar Stadium on Sunday, earning a spot in the semi-finals of the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup.

Smriti Mandhana displayed her skill with a stylish 88, complemented by Harmanpreet Kaur’s remarkable 70 and Deepti Sharma’s late fifty, which appeared to set India on a path to achieving their highest successful chase in women’s ODIs. However, the departures of Smriti and Deepti transformed a seemingly straightforward chase into a chaotic endeavor, as India concluded their innings at 284/6 while pursuing 289.

Despite having three players scoring half-centuries, India couldn’t replicate the influence of Heather Knight, whose brilliant 109 anchored England's innings and ultimately became the pivotal element in the match. Knight's innings, featuring 15 boundaries and a six, provided crucial momentum during the middle overs. Her exit through a run-out briefly ignited hope for India, but England’s disciplined bowling in the closing stages swiftly extinguished that.

Linsey Smith and Sophie Ecclestone, despite not being at their best, played crucial roles in moments that undermined India’s chase and firmly established England's hold on the match. Now, India finds itself on a three-match losing streak and must quickly regroup to defeat New Zealand in what is effectively a must-win scenario to stay in contention for the semi-finals.

India’s pursuit commenced with Pratika Rawal being given an early reprieve when Charlie Dean dropped a catch at short cover. Following a confident boundary off Lauren Bell, Rawal attempted a risky cut but ended up getting caught behind off the pace bowler.

After struggling initially, Harleen Deol managed to bounce back by striking five boundaries, showcasing a beautiful drive past the pacer as her standout shot. However, just when she seemed settled, Charlie Dean deceived her with drift, resulting in LBW on the final ball of the power-play.

While Smriti appeared a bit shaky, Harmanpreet found her rhythm with three leg-side boundaries. Smriti eventually started to find her footing by edging and steering Charlie for a couple of fours. In the key matchup against Sophie Ecclestone, both Harmanpreet and Smriti didn’t allow her to find her groove.

Harmanpreet initiated her assault by driving and lofting boundaries off Ecclestone, and later struck a four off Linsey Smith. Following a successful review overturning an LBW decision against Charlie, Smriti reached her fifty off 60 balls, cutting the off-spinner for another four.

Even with Lauren's return, India maintained a steady scoring rate as Harmanpreet struck a four off her slower delivery, reaching her fifty in just 54 balls. Smriti's aggressive cut off Charlie added to the score, while Harmanpreet's onslaught against Nat Sciver-Brunt included a mix of laps and pulls that resulted in four boundaries.

Yet, the England captain had the final say when Harmanpreet's attempt to steer resulted in a catch at short third man. Despite England regaining some control, Smriti continued to excel with her backfoot play, securing boundaries off Charlie and Alice Capsey.

With Deepti Sharma contributing by rotating the strike with singles and twos, alongside some boundaries from her slog and sweep, India appeared to be in a good position. However, Smriti fell just 12 runs short of a century, misjudging a delivery from Linsey and getting caught at long-off.

As the required run rate climbed to seven, Deepti alleviated the pressure with a couple of boundaries off Sophie and Nat, reaching her fifty off 55 balls. However, England struck back as Richa Ghosh was dismissed after chipping to extra cover off Nat, and Deepti was caught out on a top-edge during a slog-sweep.

With 23 runs required from the last two overs, Sneh Rana managed a swipe through mid-wicket for four. Despite Amanjot Kaur hitting a boundary on the last ball, it was too little too late, as India fell short despite being in a position to secure victory.

Brief Scores: England 288/8 (Heather Knight 109, Amy Jones 56; Deepti Sharma 4-51, Shree Charani 2-68) beat India 284/6 (Smriti Mandhana 88, Harmanpreet Kaur 70; Nat Sciver-Brunt 2-47, Linsey Smith 1-40) by four runs.

–IANS

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