INDORE: England beat India in a nail-biting finish to qualify for the Women’s World Cup semi-final in Indore on Sunday.
In a thrilling encounter just before Diwali, England triumphed over India, earning a spot in the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World Cup with a nail-biting four-run victory.
India was chasing a target of 289 and looked to be in a solid position at 234-3, needing just 57 runs from the final 57 balls with seven wickets still in hand. The partnership between Smriti Mandhana, who scored 88, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who contributed 70, was crucial, encompassing a fantastic 125 runs. However, as has been seen before, a middle-order collapse hit India hard, and they ended up falling short at 284-6 in a heart-stopping finish.
Deepti Sharma stepped up with a fighting 50, trying to stabilise the innings, but England’s spinners, particularly Linsey Smith and Charlie Dean, proved too tough to crack in those final overs. Earlier in the match, England set a challenging target with a total of 288-8, thanks to a brilliant century by skipper Heather Knight, who scored 109, and a solid contribution from Nat Sciver-Brunt with 56 runs. Deepti Sharma shone among India’s bowlers, picking up 4 wickets for 51 runs.
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This loss marks India’s third in a row, putting them in a tough spot as they head into a must-win match against New Zealand on Thursday. Meanwhile, England has secured its place in the semi-finals, joining Australia and South Africa in the final four.
