India Aims to Refine T20 Preparations Against England

December 5, 2023
Muneeb Tariq

Harmanpreet Kaur led India to a successful year in the shortest format, securing the gold medal at the Asian Games.

Image Showing India Aims to Refine T20 Preparations Against England

India have a poor record at home in T20Is as well as against England in general.

Drawing confidence from recent performances, India aims to enhance its disappointing bilateral record against England in a three-match women’s T20I series starting on Wednesday. Under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, India enjoyed success in the shortest format, clinching the gold medal in the Asian Games, winning an away series against Bangladesh 2-1, and reaching the final of the triangular series in South Africa, featuring West Indies as the third side.

England, ranked second in the world, aims to bounce back from the disappointment of a 1-2 home loss to Sri Lanka.

India ranked fourth globally, has a weak T20I record at home, and generally struggles against England. The hosts are optimistic about delivering a special performance.

In nine matches against England at home, India has managed only two wins. Their latest victory occurred over five years ago in March 2018 when they secured an eight-wicket win at the Brabourne Stadium.

Indeed, India’s overall record against England is a cause for concern, as they have secured only seven wins out of 27 matches.

Moreover, the last time India’s women’s team won a T20I at home was over two years ago in March 2021, when they beat South Africa in Lucknow by nine wickets. Since then, India has faced four losses and a tied game while playing on home turf.

The series provides India with an opportunity to enhance their overall disappointing home record, having secured only 19 wins out of 50 T20Is played at home, along with 30 losses and one tied game.

India and England both reached the semifinals in the recent T20 World Cup held in South Africa earlier this year.

The next major event is scheduled for September-October 2024, this series offers a chance for teams to refine their preparations for the upcoming edition in Bangladesh.

Deepti Sharma stands out as India’s most successful bowler, securing 19 wickets in 16 matches at a strike rate of 15.89. However, the real commendation this year in the shortest format goes to the batters, particularly Harmanpreet, who has an impressive average of 35.88, amassing 323 runs in 13 T20Is with three fifties.

Jemimah Rodrigues has scored 342 runs in 16 matches at an average of 34.20, including one fifty. Meanwhile, India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana leads the charts with 369 runs in 15 matches, achieving three fifties and maintaining an average of 28.08.

Mandhana also concluded as the sixth-highest run-scorer in ‘The Hundred’ Women’s competition, contributing 238 runs in nine matches and playing a crucial role in Southern Braves’ title victory.

Harmanpreet is also in good form with the bat, having recently accumulated 321 runs in 14 matches during the Women’s Big Bash League.

India introduces three new faces for this series: Shreyanka Patil, a right-arm spinner from Karnataka; Mannat Kashyap, a left-arm spinner from Punjab; and Saika Ishaque, another left-arm spinner from Bengal, have been included in the squad.

Kashyap was part of the inaugural title-winning Indian side in the ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year, and Ishaque achieved joint-third position with 15 wickets in the inaugural Women’s Premier League for Mumbai Indians.

Patil gained attention for her promising performance in the Women’s Premier League with Royal Challengers Bangalore. She also made history as the first Indian to play in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League, where she finished as the highest wicket-taker with nine scalps in five games.

In the case of England, Nat Sciver-Brunt’s all-round contributions in the Women’s Premier League and her consistent form in the international circuit establish her as the most formidable player.

In addition to scoring 332 runs at a strike rate of 140.08 and taking 10 wickets in the Women’s Premier League during Mumbai’s winning campaign, Sciver-Brunt has accumulated 271 runs in just eight T20Is at an impressive average of 45.16.

Danny Wyatt leads with the most runs for England in T20Is this year, amassing 278 in 11 matches. On the bowling front, Sophie Ecclestone, with 16 wickets, and Sarah Glenn, with 13, have been the standout performers for the team.

The series between the senior women’s sides was preceded by a three-match contest between their respective ‘A’ teams, where Issy Wong’s all-round brilliance played a crucial role in giving the visitors a 2-1 win.

Batters from both teams faced challenges on spin-friendly and slow surfaces, suggesting that the upcoming series could be dominated by spinners. Both India and England boast a strong lineup of spinners in their ranks.