With the series delicately poised, India will aim to wrap up the women’s T20I series against England when the two sides meet for the fourth match on Wednesday. Leading 2-1 in the five-match series, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side will be keen to bounce back after a narrow five-run defeat in the third game at The Oval.
The loss exposed some concerns in India’s batting unit. While opener Shafali Verma blazed her way to 47 off 25 and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur chipped in with 23 off 17, neither was able to anchor the innings deep enough to chase down England’s total. The lack of conversion from promising starts stalled India’s momentum at a critical juncture.
Shafali, returning to the international fold after an eight-month break, has shown flashes of brilliance but has yet to deliver a commanding innings. Her scores of 20, 3, and 47 hint at potential but not dominance. Harmanpreet, coming back from a head injury, is also finding her rhythm, having missed the first game and managing just 24 runs in the next two.
So far, India’s batting has relied heavily on Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Amanjot Kaur. A strong showing from the experienced Shafali-Harmanpreet duo could ease the pressure and solidify India’s top order, especially in a high-stakes match like this.
On the bowling front, India has impressed. Spin spearhead N Shree Charani leads the wicket tally with eight, followed closely by Deepti Sharma with six. Arundhati Reddy has provided useful breakthroughs with pace, claiming four scalps. However, the team will expect more control from Radha Yadav and Amanjot Kaur, who have both gone for over 8.5 runs an over.
For England, the challenge will be to find consistency. Their innings of 171 for nine in the previous game was powered by half-centuries from Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, but a late-order collapse nearly undid their good work. While Lauren Bell has led the bowling attack well, England will need greater collective discipline with the ball if they are to contain India’s firepower.
A win on Wednesday will secure the series for India, while England will be desperate to level things at 2-2 and take the contest into a decider. With both teams having plenty to prove, the stage is set for a thrilling fourth T20I.
