In a gripping Women’s World Cup encounter in Indore, India’s seasoned off-spinner Deepti Sharma orchestrated a stunning comeback to restrict England to 288 for 8, despite a magnificent century from English captain Heather Knight.
Knight, celebrating her 300th international appearance, displayed exceptional sweeping skills throughout her explosive innings of 109. Her 91-ball masterclass, adorned with 15 boundaries and a six, marked her third ODI century and her highest individual score in Women’s One-Day Internationals.
For India, Deepti Sharma proved to be the pivotal bowler, consistently delivering crucial breakthroughs whenever captain Harmanpreet Kaur turned to her. Deepti finished with impressive figures of 4/51, marking her best performance in an ODI World Cup match.
Despite being held back until the 16th over, Deepti quickly made her impact felt. She claimed her 150th international scalp by outsmarting Tammy Beaumont (22) and later dismissed the well-set Amy Jones (56), who had contributed to England’s strong start.
Deepti’s disciplined bowling also triggered a crucial late-innings collapse, as she accounted for Emma Lamb (11) and Alice Capsey (2), preventing England from reaching an even more imposing total.
Earlier, Knight had brilliantly marshaled the innings, forging a commanding 113-run partnership off just 106 deliveries with skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt (38). Their effortless boundary-hitting laid a strong foundation, seemingly setting England up for a massive score.
This formidable partnership followed a solid 77-run opening stand between Jones (56 off 68 balls) and Beaumont, marking the first time England’s openers had successfully navigated the initial 10 overs in this tournament.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically when left-arm spinner Sree Charani (2/68) dismissed Sciver-Brunt against the run of play, with Harmanpreet Kaur taking a spectacular, well-timed leap to pluck the ball out of the air. This wicket unraveled England’s batting order under mounting pressure.
Adding to England’s woes, Knight herself was run out in the 45th over due to a precise throw from Sneh Rana. From that point, India asserted complete control, exposing England’s middle-order vulnerabilities as they dramatically lost five wickets in the final ten overs, ultimately restricting their imposing target.