Sports News : The Indian women’s cricket team made history on Friday by defeating England by six wickets in the fourth T20I match held at Old Trafford, Manchester. With this win, India has taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series — marking the first time India has ever won a bilateral T20I series against England, either at home or away.
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Chasing a modest target of 127 runs, India got off to a flying start thanks to openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. The duo added a brisk 56-run partnership in just seven overs. Shafali scored 31 runs off 19 balls, while Smriti contributed 31 off 32 deliveries. England’s Charlie Dean broke the opening stand by dismissing Shafali, and Smriti soon followed, giving England a glimmer of hope.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues then steadied the innings with a composed 48-run partnership. Harmanpreet scored 26 off 25 balls, while Jemimah remained unbeaten on 24 off 22 deliveries, guiding India home with three overs to spare.
Earlier, England won the toss and opted to bat first, but their top-order once again faltered. Indian spinners dominated, restricting them to just 126 runs. Deepti Sharma and N. Shreecharani struck early, removing openers Sophia Dunkley (22) and Danni Wyatt (5) in the powerplay.
Despite efforts by Alice Capsey (18) and captain Tammy Beaumont (20), England’s innings never gained momentum. The Indian spin attack maintained tight lines, with Radha Yadav being the pick of the bowlers, taking 2 wickets for just 15 runs in her four-over spell.
From the 7th to the 20th over, Indian spinners bowled 9 overs, giving away only 56 runs and picking up five wickets. England’s Sophie Ecclestone and Issy Wong tried to add quick runs at the end, but the final total of 126 was not enough to trouble the Indian lineup.
With this victory, India now leads the series 3-1, and the fifth and final match has been reduced to a formality. This landmark win underlines the rising dominance and consistency of the Indian women’s cricket team in the T20 format on the global stage.
