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England managed to secure a narrow five-wicket victory against India in the final T20 international match at Edgbaston on Saturday evening. They successfully chased down the target of 168 runs on the very last ball of the innings.
The final over of the match was a tense affair, with England needing six runs to win while chasing a target of 168 runs. However, the first ball saw Tammy Beaumont get bowled while attempting to play across the line off Arundhati Reddy's bowling. Shortly after, Amy Jones was dismissed by a spectacular diving catch from Radha Yadav at deep midwicket. With five runs still required from the remaining three balls, Sophie Ecclestone ran three after a fumble in the deep by an Indian fielder. Paige Scholfield then managed to get a single into the off-side. A subsequent shy at the stumps from the Indian team went wide, allowing Ecclestone to complete the necessary single for the win.
Despite losing the fifth T20I, the Women in Blue had already secured the series 3-2.
While chasing a target of 168 runs, the English team relied on a match-winning innings by Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who was celebrating her 300th international appearance, and a solid contribution of 41 runs from Sophia Dunkley. Their 101-run opening partnership put significant pressure on the Indian team. However, the visitors fought back, ensuring that the hosts did not secure an easy win.
The match went down to the wire, with the Tammy Beaumont-led England needing just six runs to win in the final over. Fast bowler Arundhati Reddy shone for India, taking two crucial wickets in the first three balls of the over. But Sophie Ecclestone displayed remarkable composure under pressure and, with just one run needed off the last ball, she managed to take her team across the finish line.
Despite the loss in this final match, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian side had largely dominated the series, particularly due to the outstanding performance of Shafali Verma. Making a comeback to the T20 format, she played a gritty innings of 75 runs off just 41 balls, showcasing clear attacking intent. Coming in to bat at the No. 3 position early in the innings, she was instrumental in helping the team recover. She reached her half-century in just 23 balls, the second-fastest by an Indian woman in T20 internationals, and maintained an aggressive approach during the middle overs. Despite a subsequent batting collapse, she held her nerve and helped the team post a respectable total of 167 runs.
Charlie Dean was the standout bowler for England, registering impressive figures of 3 wickets for 23 runs and also breaking crucial partnerships. Ecclestone also contributed with two wickets. Apart from Shafali Verma, the Indian batters struggled to capitalize on their starts, with no other batter managing to score more than 25 runs.
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