Captain Harmanpreet Kaur rose to the occasion with a sublime century and young pacer Kranti Goud delivered a record-breaking spell as India Women edged out England Women by 13 runs in a pulsating series-deciding third ODI at Chester-le-Street.
India’s thrilling win not only sealed the three-match series 2-1 but also capped off a highly successful tour, having earlier clinched the T20I series 3-2. The result marks India’s second consecutive ODI series triumph on English soil.
It’s a great moment for all of us. Credit to the team and support staff. Everyone has stepped up. The fielding effort, something we’ve really focused on, is finally showing results.
Leading from the front, Harmanpreet smashed a scintillating 84-ball 102, supported by classy knocks from Smriti Mandhana (45), Harleen Deol (45) and Jemimah Rodrigues (50 off 45), as India piled on a commanding 318/5 — their highest total of the series.
But it was 21-year-old Kranti Goud who turned the game decisively with the ball. The Madhya Pradesh pacer rattled England’s top order with two early strikes and returned later to finish with astonishing figures of 6 for 52 — becoming the youngest Indian to claim a six-wicket haul in women’s ODIs.
I’m so proud of Kranti and all the youngsters. She, along with Charani, has really stood out. Both got good exposure at the WPL and were hungry to perform here. Credit also to our fielding coach Munish Bali sir — his hard work is paying off.
England, reduced to 8/2 early on, launched a spirited fightback through skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt (98 off 105) and Emma Lamb (68), their 162-run partnership breathing life into the chase. Sophia Dunkley (34) and Alice Davidson-Richards (44 off 34) kept the hosts in the hunt, but the late-order collapse proved fatal.
With 23 needed from the final over, Goud held her nerve. Though Loren Bell briefly threatened with a six, she holed out off a slower ball — caught fittingly by Harmanpreet — as England were bowled out for 305 in 49.5 overs.
For Harmanpreet, the hundred was more than just a captain’s innings. “I’ve been under pressure for a while, but I kept telling myself that the right time would come,” she said emotionally. “I’d like to dedicate this innings to my dad. I hope he’s proud of how I batted today.”
England skipper Sciver-Brunt rued her side’s failure to capitalise in the final stretch. “We did really well to stay in the game after the early collapse,” she admitted. “But losing wickets in the last 10 overs really cost us. We gave away too many with the ball as well. It’s an area we’ll continue to work on.”
Brief Scores: India Women 318/5 in 50 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 102, Jemimah Rodrigues 50, Smriti Mandhana 45, Harleen Deol 45; Sophie Ecclestone 1-28, Lauren Filer 1-64)
England Women 305 all out in 49.5 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 98, Emma Lamb 68, Alice Davidson-Richards 44, Sophia Dunkley 34; Kranti Goud 6-52, Shree Charani 2-68) India won by 13 runs; clinch series 2-1.
