India captain Harmanpreet Kaur on 3 June admitted her side was just one wicket away from turning the contest in their favour, after England sealed a six-wicket win in the third and final T20I at Taunton to clinch the three-match series 2-1, days before the Women's T20 World Cup.

How the chase unfolded

Chasing 181, England were reduced to 53/3 inside the power play, with Kranti Goud and Arundhati Reddy striking early for India. But a defining 137-run partnership between Alice Capsey (82) and Heather Knight (70 not out) flipped the equation, carrying the hosts to 184/4 in 18.3 overs.

What Harmanpreet said

Reflecting on the defeat, Harmanpreet conceded India had control after the early breakthroughs but could not find the fourth wicket that might have shifted momentum.

‘I think for us it was only a matter of getting one more wicket. I think we were in the game. We got three early wickets, and we were just thinking about one more wicket, but because they both played really well, they took the game away from us,' Harmanpreet said after the match.

Despite the loss, the skipper drew encouragement from the broader performance and said the squad would carry several positives into the global tournament, which begins on 12 June.

‘I think a lot of positives, except for that wicket which we were looking for. I think there are a lot of positives going forward for the World Cup,' she said.

Playing XI largely settled

Harmanpreet indicated the team management has broadly finalised its preferred playing XI for the World Cup, with two practice matches still available to test combinations.

‘I think we are pretty much clear, and still we have two more practice games before the World Cup where we can think about other combinations. Radha is there; she did really well in the WPL and feels ready. Apart from her, Bharti Fulmal is also there. She is a middle-order batter and has batted really well,' she said.

‘Still, we have two very good players who are sitting out, and hopefully we will give them a fair chance in the practice games. I think we are pretty much clear about what our XI is going to be going forward,' Harmanpreet added.

Why the early arrival matters

India landed in England well ahead of the tournament to acclimatise, and Harmanpreet said the decision is already paying dividends.

‘The idea behind coming here early was to get used to these conditions. I think we are pretty much getting used to these conditions, and hopefully we will get whatever we need from them,' she said.

India now shift focus to warm-up fixtures before opening their Women's T20 World Cup campaign, looking to convert series-level positives into knockout-stage results.