India women aim for a strong start against England women

India women's cricket team are set to host England Women for the opening ODI at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The England women’s tour of India comprises three ODIs and three T20Is. The matches will be played between 22 February and 9 March.

All the ODIs will be played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, while the T20Is are scheduled to take place at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. India will be eyeing to make the most of this home advantage and win all the three ODIs which are a part of the ICC Women’s Championship.

The Indian camp suffered a considerable blow when Harmanpreet Kaur was ruled out of this ODI series due to an ankle injury. The vice-skipper will be replaced by Harleen Deol in the ODI series, and she will head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for her treatment.

The 20-year-old all-rounder from Punjab can make her debut in the opening match under the leadership of Mithali Raj. The hosts need to be aggressive on the field if they want to get the better of the English side. Having lost their T20I series in New Zealand, the women in blue would be eyeing to bounce back in style.

England has come to India with a set game plan and a well-oiled squad. They have recalled two seasoned campaigners in Sarah Taylor and Katherine Brunt for this crucial series.

The visitors will be hoping for a positive result when they take on the Indian team. The first ODI will be essential for them if they want to make a statement in this tour. Both the giants will lock horns in what is expected to be a mouth-watering series.

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Match Details (1st ODI)

Date: Friday, 22 February 2019

Time: 09:00 AM IST

Venue: Wankhede Stadium

Tournament: England Women tour of India

Live Telecast: Star Sports Network

Online Streaming: Hotstar (Website, App)