IND W vs ENG W: Amy Jones' 46, Sophie Ecclestone's 3-fer help England hammer India by 8 wickets in rain-shortened 2nd ODI to level series 1-1

India women's team suffered an agonizing eight-wicket defeat at the hands of England women's in the rain-shortened second ODI at the Lord's cricket stadium on July 19. With this win England have levelled the three-match series 1-1 with a match to spare.

In the match, which was curtailed to 29 overs per side due to persistent rain interruptions, the Indian batting lineup struggled against the English bowlers. Despite a fighting effort from star batter Smriti Mandhana (42), the Indian team was restricted to a total of 143 runs for the loss of 8 wickets. England, in their chase, were at 102/1 when the rain once again intervened, leading to a revised target of 115 runs to be scored in 24 overs as per Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. However, England wrapped up the match with 18 balls to spare.

Under overcast skies in London, the Indian batting unit found it challenging to establish momentum. They suffered an early setback with the loss of opener Pratika Rawal in the second over. While Mandhana and Harleen Deol managed to forge a 40-run partnership for the second wicket, Deol's dismissal triggered a collapse in the Indian innings.

England's left-arm spinner, Sophie Ecclestone, delivered a stellar performance, claiming three crucial wickets for just 27 runs. She dismissed India's skipper Harmanpreet Kaur with a sharp, straight delivery. Ecclestone's efforts were well-supported by other English bowlers, as India lost four wickets for a mere 26 runs, finding themselves in a precarious situation at 98 for 6 after Mandhana's dismissal.

Amidst the batting collapse, Deepti Sharma displayed resilience, scoring an unbeaten 30 runs off 34 deliveries. She formed a promising 26-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Arundhati Reddy, who contributed 14 runs. However, Reddy's dismissal ended the partnership, further dampening India's hopes of posting a competitive total against England.

In response, England's opening batter, Beaumont, provided a solid start to their run chase. Beaumont and Amy Jones put together a 54-run stand for the first wicket. Beaumont's innings of 34 runs included five boundaries before she was dismissed by Sneh Rana. Following Beaumont's departure, Jones and Nat Sciver-Brunt added 48 runs for the second wicket. Sciver-Brunt was dismissed for 21 runs shortly after play resumed following another rain interruption. Ultimately, Jones (46*) and Dunkley (9*) guided England to victory. Now the series decider will be played on July 22 at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street.