Guwahati: India eves would want to bounce back and return to winning ways in their second T20 International against England here on Thursday. The Indian team have lost five matches in a row in the shortest format, the latest being their 41-run defeat to England in the first T20 here last Sunday. Leading up to the T20 World Cup in Australia next year, coach W.V. Raman would be well aware that the team needs to work on a lot of areas.
Veteran Mithali Raj, who is likely to retire from the shortest format before the World Cup, would like to get some runs under her belt in the second T20 after scoring just seven in the first. The batting failed in the first rubber with the lower order stemming the rot. The likes of Shikha Pandey (23 not out), Deepti Sharma (22 not out) and Arundhati Reddy (18) did get some runs but the ask was far too much for them in the end.
The bowling lacked control too, with the likes of Deepti, Arundhati and Radha Yadav leaking runs. Medium pacer Shikha Pandey (1/18) and leg-spinner Poonam Yadav (0/18) were economical but they would need support from their colleagues to keep the England batters at bay. England are the in-form side with Tammy Beaumont (62 off 57), skipper Heather Knight (40 off 20) and Danielle Wyatt (35) looking good in the last game. The visitors, who produced an all round show, would like to continue their dominance in the second match too.
Squads:
India: Smriti Mandhana (Captain), Mithali Raj, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wicketkeeper), Bharti Fulmali, Anuja Patil, Shikha Pandey, Komal Zanzad, Arundhati Reddy, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Radha Yadav, Veda Krishnamurty, Harleen Deol.
England: Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Sophia Dunkley Brown, Freya Davies, Georgia Elwiss, Amy Ellen Jones, Heather Knight (Captain), Laura Marsh, Natalie Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Linsey Smith, Lauren Winfield, Danielle Wyatt, Alex Hartley