England have levelled the series here in Bristol with a superb all-round performance against India. A well-deserved 26-run victory for the hosts sees the three-match T20I series locked at 1-1. We now head to Taunton for what promises to be a thrilling series decider on Tuesday.
For now, this is Pritam Dey signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Akshay Bhide who, along with scorers/analysts Sachin Yadav & Manish Bishnoi brought all the actions of this clash. Stay tuned for more cricketing action from around the world. BYE BYE👋
Charlie Dean (England Women Captain): "[Much better today?] Yeah. It was brilliant to get to that score. Kemp was brilliant. And to defend that, it was special. Ecclestone was good at the back end. Linsey and the others were good as well.
[On Freya Kemp's cameo] Freya was exceptional. She took the momentum into our bowling innings and it was needed to put their batters under pressure. For her to go out there and with questions asked about her power, it was nice to see that.
[On Freya Kemp's batting position] Freya is a dynamic batter. We know she can adapt. Looking forward to Taunton to put in a similar performance.
[On bowling changes] We know how powerful India can be. Their batting line-up is great. We have to be at our best with our execution at the back end of the innings. Feels great to bounce back.
[A win in Taunton will boost their confidence heading into the World Cup, right?] Yeah. Hugely. They are a strong team. To win today and keep the series alive, looking forward to Taunton."
Harmanpreet Kaur (India Women Captain): "(Was Freya's knock the key difference today?) Yeah, definitely. She took the game away from us. The way she batted in the last two overs was brilliant. We should give credit to her.
(Thoughts at the halfway mark) No doubt, we felt that they got 10-15 runs extra. I think we started our innings really well but it was all about building up partnerships but unfortunately we played too many dot balls in the middle phase which really costed us.
(Why did the batters get stuck during the middle phase) I think we played too many dot balls. We should keep rotating the strike. So many dot balls did put a lot of pressure on us.
(The decision to retire out Yastika) Unfortunately she was not connecting the ball. Jemi was someone who got runs in the last game. I think that didn't work for us.
(Did they think of batting Jemi at 4 again?) Well, we never thought that this situation will come. Yastika batted really well in the first game. We didn't know that she will struggle today. It's a game, sometimes it clicks, sometimes it doesn't. It's only about thinking what can be done best for the team."
Freya Kemp (Player of the Match): "[On the win today] Obviously, the game in Chelmsford didn't go as we would have liked. But happy to get the win here. A team performance from us.
[On her cameo] We sat up the innings nicely. Charlie spoken a lot about firing at the back end and getting runs at the back end. Happy to play that role for the team.
[On her role in the team] Nice for the girls at the top of the order to face as many balls as possible. They did a great job upfront. Danni and Dunkley played well in the powerplay. Amy and Capsey in the middle were great as well.
[On trying to stay ahead of the game] I'm always trying to improve. Just seeing what teams have plans for me and try to counter. Just come up with answers.
[On picking up two wickets] Nice to get a few wickets and bowl some overs for the team. Happy to get those wickets."
Player of the Match: Freya Kemp
10:01 PM IST & 5:31 PM Local Time: A superb all-round performance from England here in Bristol as they comprehensively defeat India by 26 runs. The hosts were clinical in all departments and have now levelled the three-match T20I series at 1-1, setting up a thrilling decider.
Earlier in the day, England won the toss and elected to bat first here in Bristol. The hosts made a cautious start with Sophia Dunkley falling for 10 off 14 balls in the fifth over. England reached 35/1 at the end of the Powerplay and were searching for some momentum. Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones and Alice Capsey all got starts but failed to convert them into substantial scores as India continued to chip away with timely wickets.
At 129/5 after 18 overs, England were in need of a strong finish and that is exactly what they got from Freya Kemp. The all-rounder played a sensational cameo, taking the attack to the bowlers and smashing 39 runs off just 13 deliveries. Her late assault completely changed the complexion of the innings as England plundered 39 runs from the final two overs to finish with a competitive 168/5 from their 20 overs. Shree Charani was the standout bowler for India, returning impressive figures of 3/25.
In reply, Shafali Verma gave India the ideal start with an aggressive cameo at the top of the order. However, her entertaining knock came to an end in the third over when Lauren Bell dismissed her for 22 off 14 balls. Smriti Mandhana and Yastika Bhatia then added 43 runs for the second wicket, but the scoring rate dipped after the Powerplay. Mandhana's dismissal for 32 off 25 balls in the ninth over came at a crucial stage and handed England a significant breakthrough.
Yastika and Harmanpreet Kaur found it difficult to find boundaries consistently as the pressure steadily built. Their 39-run partnership for the third wicket came to an unusual end when Yastika, who had struggled for fluency, was retired out after scoring 33 off 36 balls. The move did not have the desired effect as Jemimah Rodrigues arrived at the crease and departed shortly after for just 1. India continued to lose wickets at regular intervals as the required rate climbed beyond control.
Harmanpreet, who became only the third woman to complete 4,000 T20I runs during the match, battled hard with a fighting 28 off 22 balls. However, once she was dismissed, India's hopes faded away. England eventually restricted India to 142/9 and sealed a convincing 26-run victory to level the series. Two wickets apiece for Lauren Bell, Charlie Dean and Freya Kemp. Stay tuned for the Post-Match Presentation!
OVER 20
India Women
142/9
Nandani Sharma
0(0)
Arundhati Reddy
4(5)
Sophie Ecclestone
1-24(4.0)
19.6 Sophie Ecclestone to Arundhati Reddy
1 Full again on the stumps, 93 kmph, Reddy can't get underneath this one as she hits it along the ground to long on for a run. India finish their innings on 142/9 as they fall short by 26 runs. England keep the series alive.