Repeating their 2017 Women's World Cup final debacle, Mithali-led India succumbed again to English women, this time by four wickets in the 2022 edition of the marquee tournament on Wednesday (March16). Back in 2017 Women's ODI World Cup final, India went down to English women by 9 runs to miss the coveted title by a whisker.
In a lopsided match, India tumbled to a paltry 134 owing to the batting collapse to hand Heather Knight-led side a sitter of a total to chase. Skipper Heather's unbeaten 53 which was coupled with Nat Sciver's sedate 45 ensured England's facile victory over India. It was a must-win game for the title holders, who had lost all three matches before this contest. They moved up to six from seventh. India now have two wins and as many defeats from four matches and stay in third position.
England also made a stuttering start to their chase as they lost both their openers -- Danni Wyatt (1) and Tammy Beaumont (1) -- cheaply with the scoreboard reading four for two in the third over. Wyatt was first to depart in the second over, courtesy a sensational diving catch by Sneh Rana off medium pacer Meghna Singh (3/26).
Veteran Jhulan Goswami, the highest wicket-taker in the history of the tournament, then trapped Beaumont in the second over after India went for the review. It was 250th wicket for the pacer in ODIs.
While Knight played a captain's knock by anchoring the chase, Sciver took the attack to the Indian bowlers, hitting as many as eight boundaries during her entertaining knock, in which she pulled off some pull shots.
With just 135 required for a win, what England needed was a decent partnership after the early blows and Knight and Sciver provided that by sharing 65 runs for the third wicket.
Sciver's innings was cut short by Pooja Vastrakar. It was a soft dismissal and against the run of play as Sciver spooned a length ball to Goswami while looking to work the ball on the on-side.
Amy Jones (10) then stitched a 33-run stand for the next wicket with Knight before the former fell to a stunning backward running catch by India vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur at mid-on off Rajeshwari Gayakwad's bowling.
By then it was all over for India by then as England needed just 32 more runs. The Indians picked up two more wickets in the 30th over before England completed the formality.
Earlier, inconsistency returned to haunt Indian batters as they produced a below-par effort to be bundled out for a meagre 134 by defending champions England.
Previous game's centurion Smriti Mandhana (35) top-scored, while wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh made 33 before England bowled out India in 36.2 overs after opting to field first.
It was in sharp contrast to India's performance against the West Indies in their last match when they rode on centuries from Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur to post 317 for 8, their highest total in the history of the showpiece event.
Charlie Dean (4/23) was the pick of the bowlers for England while Anya Shrubsole also chipped in with two wickets as the Indians failed to build a decent partnership. England, on the other hand, opened their tally and are placed seventh with two points from four matches.
