India Women defeated England Women by 24 runs in the second T20I of the five-match series at Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol, England. With this second consecutive win, India took a 2-0 lead in the series. Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur led a strong comeback after India lost early wickets. Their attacking half-centuries helped India recover and post a big total. Later, the bowlers worked together to keep England from chasing the target, even though Tammy Beaumont fought back with a bold fifty.

India had a shaky start

India didn’t begin smoothly either. Capsey gave away 11 runs in the opening over, with Smriti Mandhana quickly settling into rhythm after her century at Trent Bridge. But Lauren Filer struck from the other end, removing Shafali Verma with a short ball that took the glove and was caught behind.

Rodrigues hit some early boundaries, but England’s fielding looked sharper than the previous game. Ecclestone made a diving stop, and Dunkley nearly got a run-out. Bell pulled off a flying catch to remove Mandhana for 13 off Em Arlott’s bowling, and then Filer dismissed captain Harmanpreet Kaur. India were in trouble at 35 for 3 by the end of the powerplay.

Jemimah Rodrigues changes the momentum

Coming in at No. 3, Rodrigues needed time to adjust. She struggled against Filer’s pace and had a strike rate just above 100 during the early part of her innings. She focused on rebuilding with Amanjot.

At the halfway point, India were 64 for 3. Then Rodrigues changed gears. After getting hit on the helmet by Arlott, she struck a six and two fours in the same over. She welcomed back Filer with two scoop shots and a slash through third man. At one point, she had scored 10 of India’s 13 boundaries. She reached her fifty in 33 balls — her first against England in 21 matches.

After that, Amanjot stepped up, hitting three boundaries off Ecclestone. India had three explosive overs — scoring 16, 18, and 15 runs — which put them in full control. Rodrigues was eventually caught by Bell, ending a vital partnership, but India had already taken the upper hand.

Amanjot finishes strong

Promoted to bat at No. 5 for the first time, Amanjot looked calm and confident. Her first boundary came with a chip over mid-off. She took time to settle, scoring 18 off her first 18 balls, before attacking Ecclestone.

Her fifty came from 35 balls, and she partnered well with Richa Ghosh to boost India’s total. Ghosh hit six boundaries in her 20-ball knock, although she got a lucky escape when Beaumont dropped a catch at square leg.

Bell bowled well, finishing with 2 for 17, and Ecclestone also improved in her second match. But the rest of England’s bowlers couldn’t contain India’s middle-order batters.

India’s bowlers keep England under control

In England’s reply, Amanjot struck early by dismissing Sciver-Brunt. England collapsed to 17 for 3 in the powerplay. Beaumont, playing her first T20I in nearly four years, gave England some hope. She scored 50 runs off 42 balls, putting on a 70-run stand with Amy Jones. But just as the partnership started to build pressure on India, Sneh Rana ran out Beaumont with a direct hit, which shifted the momentum again.

Sophie Ecclestone showed her batting skills by scoring 35 off 23 balls, but the required run-rate kept climbing. England couldn’t keep up, leaving their captain and coach Charlotte Edwards with tough questions ahead of the next game at The Oval.

England’s openers continue to struggle

Since their strong opening against West Indies earlier this summer, Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge have been disappointing. Their recent scores together include 0, 0, 9, and 2. While Wyatt-Hodge has been struggling more, this time Dunkley fell first. She hit the ball to extra cover and then ran for a single that wasn’t there, leading to a quick dismissal.

Wyatt-Hodge managed to avoid her fourth duck in a row, but her effort didn’t last long. She tried to go big early and was caught at mid-off. She has now been dismissed twice in two matches by Deepti Sharma's off-spin, after falling three times to left-arm spin in the previous series against West Indies.

Beaumont makes her return count

With Heather Knight injured in the last match against West Indies, Tammy Beaumont got a chance to return to the T20I squad. Although she batted at an unusual position (No. 4), England’s top-order collapse brought her in just after seven balls.

Beaumont started with 11 off 10 balls but soon picked up the pace. She hit Radha Yadav for two boundaries in one over and then smashed Sneh Rana for three consecutive fours. By the 10th over, England had reached 76 for 3, slightly ahead of India’s score at that stage.

She brought up her first T20I fifty since September 2021 with a boundary and a single. However, two balls later, she was run out after a miscommunication with Jones. Sneh Rana’s sharp throw ended her innings with England needing 95 runs off 51 balls.

When both Capsey and Jones fell in the same over, England’s hopes crashed. They eventually lost the match and ended their unbeaten record at Bristol in women’s T20Is.

Brief Scorecard