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Capsey and Knight Destroy India’s Bowling Plans (Image Internet)
New Delhi: India women missed out on a series win after failing to defend 180 in the third and final T20I against England at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton on Tuesday. England chased down the target with six wickets in hand, sealing the series 2-1.
The match also marked both teams’ final T20I outing before the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which begins on June 12.
England produced the highest successful T20I chase ever recorded in England, driven by a match-winning 137-run stand for the fourth wicket between Alice Capsey and Heather Knight.
Capsey led the counterattack with a fluent 82 off 43 balls, striking nine fours and three sixes before being dismissed by Arundhati Reddy. Knight anchored the innings brilliantly, remaining unbeaten on 70 from 42 balls, hitting 10 boundaries to guide her side home.
The partnership proved decisive as both players returned to form at a crucial time ahead of the global tournament.
India’s bowling attack struggled to contain the English batters during the chase. Kranti Goud picked up two wickets but conceded 41 runs, while Nandni Sharma gave away 32 runs in her three overs. Shree Charani proved the most expensive, leaking 37 runs.
Arundhati Reddy stood out as the most effective bowler, finishing with 2 for 31, while Deepti Sharma also struggled to maintain control in the death overs.
Earlier, India suffered early setbacks with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma dismissed cheaply inside the powerplay. Yastika Bhatia contributed a quick 32 off 18 balls, while Jemimah Rodrigues added a brisk 29.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front with an unbeaten 56 off 40 balls, her maiden T20I fifty against England. Her effort helped India reach 180/5, but it ultimately proved insufficient.
With momentum on their side, England will head into the T20 World Cup 2026 full of confidence, while India will look to regroup after a disappointing finish to the series.
