Confidence India Hope for Mandhana Encore, Harmanpreet availability in 2nd T20I against England | Mint

Bristol, June 30 (PTI), a confidence India will aim to take advantage of the sublime form of opener Smriti Mandhana and the hope of captain’s availability, Harmanpreet Kaur, to score another big win when the second Women’s T20i is played here on Tuesday. Mandhana’s maiden name of T20I century in the opening match in Nottingham led India to a huge 97-run victory, and the probable presence of Captain Harmanpreet-which was rested for the first match as a precaution after a head injury sustained during a warm-up match, would only contribute to the worship. Mandhana’s stroke-filled century would have been alarm bells in the English camp as he tried to find answers to the dramatic batting collapse it suffered while chasing a steep total of 210 runs. It was a day when Mandhana’s entertaining innings brought the hosts under tremendous pressure, which was later exploited by the Indian bowlers. India struck twice early and the slow bowler, especially the left arm spinner, Shree Charani, who grabbed four wickets in her first T20i, completed the demolition. Mandhana, who led the T20I running maps last year, seemed to pick up from where she stopped, and hit all the English bowlers with impunity. Although the left-handed batter said after the match that the T20I format was not her forts, it was a statement that the cricket experts would take with a pinch of salt. The power hit of the Vice Captain of India was fully displayed when she collected most of her boundaries on the side of the side, while her three maximum came to the side. The long camp in Bengaluru, followed by their early arrival in England, and some tour matches helped the Indian players get into the rhythm of the shortest format because they showed no signs of rust in Nottingham. India looked like a good unit, despite being missing their leading seams, Renuka Singh Thakur and Pooja Vesting that was injured. Harleen Deol at number 3 looked the right call, while forcing a 94 run for the second wicket with Mandhana to set up the platform for a large total. Although the bilateral white ball series may not have immediate implications, it will certainly give the young Indian players the appearance and feel of the things that come when the T20 World Championships will be held in England next year. And 20-year-old Debutant Shree Charani did very well in her maiden name, and delivered a dream game of 3.5-0-12-4 to set up India’s victory by displaying and focusing a lot of discipline to strangle the English fighters. The English captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt, 66, is having a lonely battle, even though Indian spinners enjoyed a Kakewalk, with Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav cutting too much with a few wickets each. Squads: India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Yastika Bhatia (WC), Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh (WC), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Sayali Satghare, Deepti Sharma, Kranti Gouv. England: Natalie Sciver-Brunt (c), Tammy Beaumont (WC), Sophia Dunkley, Amy Jones (WC), Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Paige Scholfield, Em Arlott, Lauren Bell, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Linsey Smith, Vly Wong. Match starts at 23:00 IST.