In the 20th match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, England defeated India by four runs at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.
England Women posted a respectable total of 288, primarily thanks to Heather Knight‘s stunning century of 109 off 115 balls, anchoring the innings with power and poise. She stepped in at a critical time and formed partnerships with Amy Jones and Nat Sciver-Brunt to keep the scoreboard ticking. Amy Jones added a consistent 56 off 68 deliveries, while Nat Sciver-Brunt contributed 38 off 49 balls. Despite losing swift wickets late in the innings, Charlie Dean contributed an unbeaten 19 from 13 balls, bringing the total close to 290. England’s batting was well-structured, but they were unable to completely capitalise in the last overs, losing four wickets in the last six overs.
India Women battled bravely in the chase, coming only four runs short of the target. Following an early loss, the innings was saved by a magnificent 125-run partnership between Smriti Mandhana (89) and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (70), both of whom played with confidence and grace. They kept the run rate under control and had India in a solid position by the 40th over. However, the dismissals of both batters, followed by Deepti Sharma (50), stemmed the momentum at an important point. While Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana made valiant efforts in the closing overs, a paucity of boundaries in the death overs ensured India almost lost out on a spectacular chase.
Deepti led India’s bowling attack admirably, taking four important wickets for 51 runs. Shree Charani also contributed significantly with two wickets. The remaining bowlers, notably Renuka Singh and Sneh Rana, were economical in spells but struggled to make breakthroughs. Fielding also played a role, with two well-executed run-outs, although India let the game slip by allowing a couple partnerships to form in the middle overs.
England’s bowling was tight and disciplined, particularly in the last ten overs. Nat Sciver-Brunt took two vital wickets, including those of Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh, halting India’s momentum. Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith bowled cheaply and applied pressure in the middle overs, while Charlie Dean made Harleen Deol’s breakthrough. Lauren Bell claimed the early wicket of Pratika Rawal and did an excellent job at the outset. England’s bowling team performed admirably under pressure, protecting just a few runs in the closing overs and demonstrating exceptional control in death bowling.
With this narrow defeat, India’s path to the semi-finals becomes even more challenging.
Scorecard:
England: 288/8, Overs 50, Heather Knight 109, Deepti Sharma 4/51
India: 284/6, Overs 50, Smriti Mandhana 88, Nat Sciver-Brunt 2/47
