Guwahati: A desperate Indian women’s team would aim to snap its five-match losing streak in the second T20 International against England here Thursday.
India suffered a crushing 41-run loss to England in the first T20 of the three-match series here Sunday.
The loss, India’s fifth in a row in the shortest format, meant the W V Raman-coached side has a lot of work to do before the T20 World Cup in Australia early next year.
Mithali Raj, who is likely to retire from the shortest format before the T20 World Cup in Australia next year, would like to make a strong statement in the second T20 after scoring just seven in he first.
Veda Krishnamurthy, who made a comeback to the team, looked a pale shadow of herself, struggling to 15 off 25 balls.
Eventually, it was left to the lower-order to do the job and the likes of Shikha Pandey (23 not out), Deepti Sharma (22 not out) and Arundhati Reddy (18) did try but the asking was too tall.
On the bowling front too, India were not up to the mark with the likes of Deepti, Arundhati and Radha Yadav leaking runs.
Medium pacer Shikha Pandey (1/18) and leg-spinner Poonam Yadav (0/18) were economical but they would need support from their colleagues to keep England batters at bay.
On the other hand, Tammy Beaumont (62 off 57), skipper Heather Knight (40 off 20) and Danielle Wyatt (35) looked in great touch as England produced an all-round effort to get the better of the home team in the first T20.
Squads:
India: Smriti Mandhana (Captain), Mithali Raj, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wicketkeeper), Bharti Fulmali, Anuja Patil, Shikha Pandey, Komal Zanzad, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Radha Yadav, Veda Krishnamurty, Harleen Deol.
England: Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Sophia Dunkley Brown, Freya Davies, Georgia Elwiss, Amy Ellen Jones, Heather Knight (Captain), Laura Marsh, Natalie Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Linsey Smith, Lauren Winfield, Danielle Wyatt, Alex Hartley
Match starts 11 am.
PTI