ICC Women’s World Cup 2017: India vs England, 5 things that India did right to beat the hosts

The ICC Women’s World Cup kicked off in grand style as India and England locked horns on the opening day of the extravaganza at Derby. While the odds were highly stacked against India, England were all set to commence their journey in an auspicious manner.

India though gave them more than just a run for their money and eventually came out on top, humbling the hosts by 35 runs.

Heather Knight won the toss and decided to field first, but the decision backfired as India piled on the runs at will, scoring 281 for the loss of three wickets.

England had their moments during the run chase, but India inflicted one blow after the other to peg the hosts back and keep them behind the 8-ball for a chunk of the innings.

We take you through five things that India got right in their defeat of England.

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#5 Run-outs

Bowlers churn out wickets for a team, but the fielders also need to perform their roles if a team are to cross the finishing line.

All in all, India effected as many as four run outs at crucial junctures of the game, which dented England’s hopes of victory. Heather Knight had settled into a rhythm but Mithali Raj hit the bull’s eye to send her packing for 46.

The partnership between Katherine Brunt and Fran Wilson too looked ominous, but to India’s delight, both were caught short of their crease courtesy a couple of brilliant throws by Ekta Bisht and Deepti Sharma.

#4 Opening partnership setting the platform

Poonam Raut contributed with a gutsy knock of 86

Partnerships are of the utmost importance as they not only guide a team towards victory, but also frustrate the fielding team in the process. In their contest against England, the Indian team needed to get off to a decent start to set the ball rolling.

The opening stand between Poonam Raut and Smriti Mandhana turned out to be a vital one as it began India’s campaign in style. Raut began defensively while her partner, Smriti took the aggressive route. Both complemented each other perfectly to garner 144 runs at a healthy run rate of 5.17, setting the platform for a substantial total.

#3 The legacy of Mithali Raj and a blistering finish

Mithali Raj added impetus to the Indian innings with her seventh successive half-century

Mithali Raj has been a class act for India and her numbers in One Day Internationals are stupendous, to say the least. After the opening stand set the platform for a dynamic finish, Mithali took the onus upon herself to inject impetus to the innings.

With a knock of 71 runs from 73 balls, she peppered the boundary ropes to add to the agony of the English bowlers. Across the entire circumference of the ground, she showed her prowess, manoeuvring the field and fetching important runs for her team.

She also entered the record books by scoring a seventh half-century in a row, thereby becoming the first woman cricketer to achieve the feat. In the process, she overhauled Elysse Perry and Charlotte Edward’s record of six consecutive half-centuries.

#2 Shikha Pandey’s brilliant opening spell (5-0-12-2)

Shikha Pandey was simply unplayable at the start

Early wickets always set the cat among the pigeons in the opposition camp. The England batting line-up is strong enough to chase down big targets and on their home turf, India had every chance of losing the game in the initial overs.

However, some disciplined line and length from fast-bowler Shikha Pandey ensured England didn’t get off to a flier. She drew first blood for India with a beautiful outswinger that took the outside edge of Tammy Beaumont and settled in the hands of Smriti Mandhana. Also, in her fifth over, she snapped up Sarah Taylor, who was playing her first International game after 16 months.

#1 Smriti Mandhana’s belligerence at the top

Smriti Mandhana took England to the sword

Smriti Mandhana, the 20-year-old batsman, got herself injured during the Women’s Big Bash League last year and has since struggled. However, she was brought into the Indian Women’s team for the World Cup and it has yielded rich dividends for them.

Against an experienced English attack, Mandhana set the tournament alight with a blistering knock of 90 runs from 72 balls that included 11 fours and a couple of monstrous sixes. She was severe on the bowlers and went hammer and tongs from the very first over.

She took Katherine Brunt to the cleaners, smashing her to all parts of the ground. She was unlucky not to reach her second ODI ton as she mistimed a pull shot straight into the hands of Danielle Hazell at short mid-wicket, providing England with their first breakthrough.