Bisht strikes, India crush world champs England by 66 runs

Mumbai, February 22 

Left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht snared four wickets as Indian bowlers dished out a clinical effort to beat England by 66 runs in the first ODI of the ICC Women’s Championship.

Ekta returned with impressive figures of 4/25 to help Indian women defend a modest 203-run target by bundling out England for a paltry 136 in 41 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Ekta was ably supported by pacer Shikha Pandey (2/21), Deepti Sharma (2/33) and veteran Jhulan Goswami (1/19) as India comfortably grabbed two points in the ICC Women’s Championship. For the visitors, Natalie Sciver top-scored with a 66-ball 44, while skipper Heather Knight remained unbeaten on 39. Chasing the modest target, England were in a comfortable position at 111/3 by the end of the 30th over before the visitors crumbled like a pack of cards, losing their last seven wickets for just 24 runs to surrender the match. Ekta wrecked England by taking three wickets in five balls in the 41st over to register a comfortable win for her side.

Jemimah on fire

Earlier, Jemimah Rodrigues top-scored for India, scoring 48 off 58 balls while skipper Mithali Raj made 44 off 77 deliveries. Asked to bat, openers Smriti Mandhana (24) and Jemimah  (48) gave a steady start to India’s innings sharing 69 runs for the opening wicket. But just after the drinks break, Smriti played on a Georgia Elwiss delivery while going for a pull. India then lost Deepti Sharma (7), who was stumped by Sarah Taylor off Sophie Ecclestone. Ecclestone, struck in her very next over, removing a well-set Jemimah as India slumped to 92/3. 

Harleen falters

Then Sciver struck twice in the 22nd over — first removing debutant Harleen Deol (2) and then Mona Meshram (0) as India looked in a spot of bother. But Mithali and wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia steadied the ship with a 54-run stand off 94 balls for the sixth wicket. Mithali, who struck four boundaries, was poised for another fifty before she was trapped in front of the wicket by Elwiss in the 42nd over. After Mithali’s dismissal, wickets kept tumbling at the other end before Jhulan chipped in with a handy 30-run knock off 37 balls, which included three fours and a six, to take the hosts past the 200-run mark. — PTI 

Brief Scores: India: 202 all out in 49.4 overs (Rodrigues 48, Raj 44, Goswami 30; Ecclestone 2/27, Sciver 2/29); England: 136 all out in 41 overs (Sciver 44, Knight 39; Bisht 4/25, Pandey 2/33, Deepti 2/33)