India wrapped up their historic England tour by defeating England by 13 runs to clinch the three-match series 2-1, following their earlier 3-2 win in the five-match T20I series.
This remarkable achievement marks a new high for India’s women cricketers and shows how far the team has come in terms of depth, composure, and finishing strength.
India won the toss and chose to bat first. Openers Pritiya Rawal and Smriti Mandhana laid a solid foundation with a 64-run stand. Though Rawal was dismissed for 26, and Mandhana followed with 45, the real star of the innings was captain Harmanpreet Kaur. She smashed a match-winning 102 off just 84 balls, including 14 boundaries, anchoring India’s total of 318 for 5.
Harleen Deol also contributed 45 runs, while Jemimah Rodrigues played a quickfire knock of 50. Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh added 38 runs, helping push the score past 300. England’s bowlers struggled to contain India’s middle order, with all five bowlers—Charlie Dean, Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer, Linsey Smith, and Sophie Ecclestone—taking one wicket each but failing to break key partnerships early enough.
Chasing a tough target of 319, England found themselves in trouble early as Kranti Gauṛ removed both Amy Jones (4) and Tammy Beaumont (2), reducing them to 8 for 2. But Emma Lamb and Nat Sciver-Brunt fought back with a brilliant 162-run partnership for the third wicket.
Lamb scored a solid 68 before being bowled by Sneh Rana. Sciver-Brunt looked set for a century but was caught for 98 off the bowling of Shree Charani, two runs short of what would’ve been a heroic hundred.
Sophie Dunkley (34), Alice Davidson-Richards (44), and Charlie Dean (21) kept the chase alive with aggressive hitting, but it wasn’t enough. England needed 55 runs in the final five overs. Jemimah Rodrigues took two clutch catches at long-on, and Kranti Gauṛ ran through the lower order with a superb six-wicket haul, finishing with 6 for 52. England were bowled out for 305 in 49.5 overs—just 13 runs short.
England had two major missed opportunities in the match, failing to review two LBW appeals—one against Harmanpreet Kaur when she was on 22, and another against Harleen Deol. Both would have resulted in wickets if reviewed. The decision-making process around the DRS seemed unclear, with Nat Sciver-Brunt appearing to rely on keeper Amy Jones’s judgement instead of taking the lead as captain.
Charlotte Edwards, England’s head coach, acknowledged the improvement in her side’s middle order but admitted they lacked the extra push needed to get over the line. “Nat played a big part in the chase, but it was great to see others stepping up too. We almost had it,” she said after the match.
England spinner Sophie Ecclestone was impressive with the ball, delivering a tight spell of 10 overs for just 28 runs. Her first seven overs were especially economical, giving away only 14 runs and including a wicket maiden. However, with her spell completed by the 34th over, India’s batters took full advantage of the remaining overs, adding 120 runs in the final 10.
In a pre-match interview, Ecclestone revealed she had almost quit cricket earlier this year following heavy criticism during the Women’s Ashes and personal mental health struggles. “I was so tired and drained… I wasn’t sure I was going to come back,” she admitted, holding back tears.
Coach Edwards later said she had no idea Ecclestone was close to retiring and praised her for being “amazing around the group.”
With the ODI World Cup now just 10 weeks away, India’s women have sent a strong message. Winning both the ODI and T20I series in England is no small feat. It shows not only the rise in individual performances but also the team’s growing self-belief and ability to finish matches under pressure.
This tour marks India’s first double-series win on English soil and adds to their growing list of overseas successes:
South Africa 2018 (ODI 2-1, T20 3-1)
Sri Lanka 2018 (ODI 2-1, T20 4-0)
West Indies 2019 (ODI 2-1, T20 5-0)
Sri Lanka 2022 (ODI 3-0, T20 2-1)
England 2025 (ODI 2-1, T20 3-2)
This tour will go down as a landmark moment in Indian women’s cricket. Harmanpreet’s century, Kranti Gauṛ’s match-winning spell, and the team’s all-round effort showed grit, skill, and fearlessness. Winning both series on England's homeground isn’t just a statistic—it’s a statement.
India are no longer just a “rising” team. They’ve arrived. And with the World Cup on the horizon, they’re looking stronger than ever.
