Key events
2nd over: England 19-1 ( Dunkley 11, Capsey 0) Titas Sadhu gets the new white ball from the other end. Dunkley gives herself one ball to have a look and then deposits the next ball into the stands for SIX! Some shot that, a decent ball on a length swung away over wide mid-on. The bat making a satisfying whipcrack sound as it connected with the ball. Scrappy-doo – the next ball is slung for four wides by Sadhu who looks a bit rattled by the previous stroke, a blank frown etched on her face underneath a snazzy pink headband. Shot Sofia! Dunkley lofts down the ground for four more, England punch back after the early loss of Bouchier.
1st over: England 3-1 ( Dunkley 1, Capsey 0) Alice Capsey finds herself out in the middle early doors, Renuka lets her get her eye in by spearing down two wide deliveries. She tightens up with three dots to finish the first over though. Game on!
WICKET! Bouchier b Renuka Singh 0 (England 1-1)
Gone! Renuka is lethal with the new ball and hoops one through Bouchier’s tentative defensive prod, bails inverting skywards like a pair of quizzical eyebrows. The crowd enjoyed that one.
The players emerge onto the field – India in powder blue and England in red tops and navy kecks. Renuka is going to start with the ball and Dunkley and Bouchier are opening up for the visitors – Let’s play!
Teams: A debut for Bess Heath!
England: Dunkley, Bouchier, Capsey, Knight (c), Jones (wk), Gibson, Heath, Kemp, Ecclestone, Dean, Gaur
India: Mandhana, Shafali, Rodrigues, Harmanpreet (c), Ghosh (wk), Deepti, Amanjot, Patil, Ishaque, Renuka, Sadhu
There are FOUR naan Jeremy, four? changes for England – Sarah Glenn is out with a dickie digit (thumb) Nat Sciver-Brunt is rested, same too Danni Wyatt and Lauren Bell.
Along with debutant Bess Heath, Maia Bouchier, Danielle Gibson and Mahika Gaur are given the nod.
Just the one change for India – Amanjot Kaur replaces Vastrakar.
England win the toss and will bat first
Heather Knight calls the coin correctly and decides to have first use of the wicket, the very same one that was used yesterday. England have made four changes to their side, full teams coming right up.
Preamble
James Wallace
Hello and welcome to the OBO of this dead rubber third and final T20I between England and India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Well, yes, England have already snatched the series with their destruction of India’s batting card for just eighty yesterday but there’s still plenty riding on this game. Namely, a series whitewash in Indian conditions that would be a big tick for Heather Knight’s side with the Women’s T20I World Cup to be played in Bangladesh next year – especially as there were some big question marks hanging over her side’s batting against spin on the back of decisive defeats to Sri Lanka in the summer.
There’s also the small matter of a rare as hen’s dentures Test match in India happening later this week, the first for an England women’s side in the country since 2005, (India have only staged a solitary Test since then, an innings win against South Africa in 2014).
Many of the same players turning out today will be involved in the red ball bout, today’s match brings a chance to either deepen some psychological scars and build momentum for Knight and co or for Harmanpreet Kaur and her side to wrestle back some initiative.
Play will begin at 13.30 GMT and I’ll be back very soon with news of the teams and the toss.
