England Survives Collapse, Stun India Women In T20i -thriller To Keep The Series Alive - Inside Sport India

The next fourth T20i will be played on July 9 in Old Trafford, Manchester.

England pulled off a remarkable heist at The Oval, edging out India by five runs in a last-ball thriller to stay alive in the T20I series. Despite a dramatic batting collapse and several fielding errors, Tammy Beaumont’s side found just enough resolve to clinch a nervy win, leaving the five-match series poised at 2-1 in India’s favour.

England’s epic collapse

England’s innings had two distinct halves. The first was commanding. Sophia Dunkley (75) and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (66) put on a dazzling 137-run stand, dominating India’s bowlers and setting up a platform for a score near 190. But the second half was chaos. From 137/0 in the 16th over, England folded to 171/9 in a collapse that defied logic—nine wickets fell for just 31 runs in 25 balls.

India’s bowlers roared back into the contest. Deepti Sharma (3/27), Arundhati Reddy (3/32), and youngster N. Shree Charani (2/43) tore through the middle and lower order with sharp spells, exposing England’s vulnerability under pressure.

Smriti Mandhana’s grace not enough

Chasing 172, India were guided early by a composed 85-run opening stand between Smriti Mandhana (56) and Shafali Verma (47), the latter playing her most fluent knock of the series. With England’s fielders spilling chances, India looked well on course. But Lauren Filer’s (2/30) pace-induced breakthroughs halted momentum.

Mandhana fell just when India needed calm, and Harmanpreet Kaur was left needing six off the final ball. Her lofted stroke found Ecclestone at mid-off, capping off a final-over standstill.