Win: India Hold On To Grab Consolation Victory |

Mumbai: Playing for the first time in the series, Amanjot Kaur, (13 not out, 4b, 3×4) showed nerves of steel, stroking left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone for three fours—two drives to extra cover followed by a reverse sweep—in the penultimate over to seal India’s five-wicket winover England in a low-scoring third and final Women’s T20 International at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.The consolation victory helped India finish the three-match series with a 2-1 scoreline, and should give them confidence going into the one-off Test against the visitors at the DY Patil Stadium from December 14. Having taken two wickets in the final over of England’s innings earlier, Amanjot, who replaced fellow medium-pacer Pooja Vastrakar, did well to finish off the 127-run chase with one over left. Needing 11 off the final two overs, India suffered a jolt when Richa Ghosh (2) lost her stumps while trying to scoop Ecclestone, before Amanjot took them home comfortably. India lost Shafali Verma (6) early, but Smriti Mandhana (48, 48b, 5×4, 2×6) and Jemimah Rodrigues (29, 38b, 4×4) added 57 in 55 balls for the second wicket to put India’s chase on track. Earlier, powered by their rookie spinners and Women’s Premier League (WPL) discoveries Shreyanka Patil (3-19 in four overs) and Saika Ishaque (3-22 in four overs), India, with a 31,000-strong crowd still cheering for them in a dead rubber, shot out a literally second-string English side for merely 126 in 20 overs. The only worry India endured while folding up England cheaply was a bad ankle injury that forced their captain Harmanpreet Kaur to hobble off the field, assisted by the physio and others, in the 16th over of the innings. After diving to stop a ball that fell short of her at mid-off, Harmanpreet’s left toe got stuck in the field as she went to collect the ball. Left reeling at 76 for eight in the 15th over, after a collapse saw them lose four wickets for nine runs in 20 balls, England looked in danger of being bowled out for less than 96, their lowest score in a T20I against India back in 2010, before Heather Knight played a skipper’s knock by slamming a half-century (52, 42b, 3×4, 3×6). Putting together a 50-run partnership in 32 balls with tailender Charlie Dean (16 not out off 15 balls) for the ninth wicket, Knight ensured that her team put a fighting total on board. For the second game in a row, India’sbowlers continued on the path to redemption, after they were taken to the cleaners in the opening T20I, in which England amassed 197 for six. If they took six English wickets while defending 80 on Saturday, they went even better a night later, making the visitors sweat for every run. India also thrived on the fine performances of their seamers Renuka Singh Thakur (2-23 in four overs) and the impressive Amanjot (2-25 in three overs). Off-spinner Deepti Sharma, who played her 100th T20I on Saturday, conceded only 21 in her four overs. England, who chose to bat first, suffered a setback when leg-spinner Sarah Glenn was ruled out of the match due to a fractured left thumb she sustained in the last game. Much to India’s relief, they rested Danni Wyatt and Nat Sciver-Brunt. On a wicket where cross-batted shots were bound to cause trouble, the inexperienced English batters kept sweeping, reverse sweeping and cutting India’s spinners to their doom. Renuka put India right on top with her early strikes, cleaning up Maia Boucher with just the third delivery of the match. Sophia Dunkley (11) then cut her to backward point, where a leaping Shreyanka pocketed the catch. Later, it was Saika’s turn as she lured Alice Capsey, who had scratched out for 16 balls for her seven, with a flighted delivery that saw the batter swat it straight to extra cover. At 26 for three, England were bleeding in the Powerplay overs. Knight and keeper-bat Amy Jones (25 off 21 balls) staged a mini recovery, before Saika and Shreyankya jolted England in the 12th and 13th overs respectively with their twin strikes that saw them on the cusp of a hat-trick.