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India Women will begin their T20I series against England Women with a match in Northampton tonight. The match is scheduled to begin at 11:00 PM IST (6:30 PM Local Time).
This tour began with a one-off Test match, where India Women denied England Women a win by batting exceptionally well in the final innings. The two squads subsequently crossed swords in the 50-over format.
The home side won the first two matches and took an unassailable lead in the 3-match series. However, India Women did not allow them to record a clean sweep as they won the third ODI match by four wickets.
While India Women will have momentum on their side because of their victory in the previous match, England Women will also have confidence as they won the ODI series. The upcoming T20I series between the two teams promises to be a thrilling affair.
England Women vs India Women: Who will come out on top in Northampton?
India Women have performed well on this tour, but England Women will start as the favorites to win the Northampton T20I. Over the years, England Women have dominated India Women in the shortest format of the game, winning 15 of their 19 T20I meetings so far.
On top of that, their recent form also favors the English side. The England women's cricket team has won its last eight T20I matches. They first whitewashed the West Indies Women 5-0 at home, and then, crushed New Zealand 3-0 away from home.
Meanwhile, India Women suffered a 1-2 defeat in their last T20I series against South Africa Women at home.
India Women will also not have the services of Mithali Raj in this series. Raj was the highest run-scorer in the recently-concluded ODI series between the two nations. India Women managed to record their first win on this tour thanks to Mithali's half-century in the third ODI.
India's batting will majorly rely on the opening duo of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. Both batters played fantastic knocks in their last T20I.
While Shafali blasted a 30-ball knock of 60, Smriti aggregated 48 runs from 28 balls. The two Indian openers had a 96-run partnership against South Africa Women in that game.
It will be interesting to see if Verma and Mandhana will be able to produce a similar performance against the likes of Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross and Katherine Brunt in Northampton. For the record, Ecclestone and Cross accounted for 15 wickets in the three ODIs against India Women.
Meanwhile, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who was the Player of the Match in India Women's last T20I did not board the flight to the UK because of a knee injury.
India Women will face major challenges in both departments. The England Women are in red-hot form in T20I cricket and it will require an extraordinary effort from the visitors to snap their rivals' winning streak.
Comparing the recent form and head-to-head record of both teams, the chances of India Women emerging victorious seem slim. However, things could become interesting if Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. bring their 'A' game to the table in Northampton.
Prediction: England Women to win the 1st T20I against India Women
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