Seamer Arundhati Reddy admitted that India faltered at the finishing line but said the best way forward would be to forget the third T20I defeat quickly and come back stronger in the fourth match as the Women in Blue eye a maiden T20I series win over England.
India was cruising at 122 for one in 13 overs while chasing 172 but stumbled in the final stretch, allowing England to snatch a narrow five-run win in a last-ball thriller on Friday night to keep the series alive.
“I actually thought England bowled really well towards the end. It was a tough loss for us. We were in the game till the 16th over. Credit should be given to them for the plans they made. They executed them really well,” Reddy said at the post-match press conference.
“I think the best thing would be to forget this game. We still played good enough cricket in most parts of the game. Probably lost our way in the last couple of overs, but it happens in cricket. We have a four-day break now. We play on the 9th next. So, take time off, prepare again, and come back stronger.”
Opting to bat, England rode on commanding fifties from Sophia Dunkley (75) and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (66) in a 137-run opening stand before imploding to lose nine wickets for just 31 runs in 25 balls, finishing at 171 for nine.
In reply, India looked in complete control with Smriti Mandhana (56) and Shafali Verma (47) adding 85 runs for the opening wicket before Lauren Filer (2/30) turned the tide for the host with a fiery spell.
“England had a good partnership at the start. We thought we actually bowled really well in the first 10 overs. The discussion after 10 overs was that we just have to go for one wicket and we knew we would be back in the game. That’s what happened,” Reddy said.
“Once we took the first wicket, a lot of wickets came in. So, yeah, it was a great comeback by the bowlers. It was a tough wicket to bowl on. I thought it played really well in the first innings.”
Both teams were sloppy on the field, dropping multiple chances, but Reddy felt it had nothing to do with the conditions.
“I think it’s just mistakes that happened from both ends. I don’t think it was a tough condition to field in. Probably once it comes from the stands—because the stands are wide—it could have made a difference. But I didn’t feel there was anything in the conditions. I just thought we didn’t take our chances,” she said.
India will take on England in the fourth match of the series in Manchester on Wednesday.
