India Women defeated England Women by 38 runs in the first T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the series
Jemimah Rodrigues starred with 69 off 40 balls and was named Player of the Match
Debutant Nandini Sharma claimed three wickets as England were restricted to 150/8 while chasing 189
India Women began their England tour with a commanding 38-run victory over England Women in the first T20I at the County Ground in Chelmsford, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Asked to bat first after England won the toss, India suffered a nightmare start as Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma fell in the opening over to Lauren Bell. However, Yastika Bhatia and Jemimah Rodrigues completely changed the momentum with a brilliant counterattack, adding a 126-run partnership for the third wicket.
Bhatia, playing her first T20I after a long injury layoff, smashed 54 runs, while Jemimah produced a superb knock of 69 off just 40 deliveries. Their aggressive batting powered India to a strong total of 188/7 despite England pulling things back in the final overs. Deepti Sharma also chipped in with a valuable 22 off 13 balls to push the visitors close to the 190-mark. Lauren Bell was England’s best bowler with figures of 3/34.
England started the chase positively but kept losing wickets at crucial moments. Kranti Gaud removed both Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey, putting early pressure on the hosts. Amy Jones tried to keep England alive with an impressive 67 off 48 balls, while Heather Knight added 21 during her record-breaking 310th international appearance. However, the required run rate kept climbing as India’s bowlers maintained control through the middle overs.
India’s bowlers then sealed the game clinically, with debutant Nandini Sharma producing a memorable spell. The pacer picked up three wickets in the space of five deliveries and finished with crucial breakthroughs during England’s chase.
Deepti Sharma and the rest of the bowling unit backed her up well as England were restricted to 150/8 in 20 overs. The victory gave India a perfect start to their World Cup preparations and an early advantage in the T20I series.
Player Of The Match - Jemimah Rodrigues
Jemimah Rodrigues was named Player of the Match after her match-winning 69 off 40 balls helped India recover from 7/2 in the first over. The right-hander dominated England’s bowling with aggressive strokeplay and shared a game-changing 126-run partnership with Yastika Bhatia. Her innings included timely boundaries and excellent strike rotation, laying the foundation for India’s total of 188/7. Rodrigues’ knock ultimately proved decisive in India’s 38-run victory at Chelmsford.
