India’s women cricketers have wrapped up their English tour in style. On Tuesday at Chester‑le‑Street they edged England by 13 runs in the third and deciding One‑Day International, sealing the series two‑one. The result completes a rare double; last week the visitors claimed their maiden T20 series win in England, and now they have lifted the ODI trophy as well.
Rain‑free Morning, High‑pressure Evening
A mild Durham morning turned into a tense evening thriller. Harmanpreet Kaur’s side posted a formidable 318 for five from fifty overs. England responded with 305 all out in 49.5 overs. The chase swayed repeatedly, yet the Indian fielders held their nerve under floodlights to protect a target that had looked safe but grew shaky in the final ten overs.
Smriti Mandhana Rewrites Overseas Record Books
Smriti Mandhana produced another measured knock at the top. Her 45 from 54 balls may appear modest, yet those runs carried historical weight. They lifted her career aggregate in England to 715, the highest by any visiting opener in the country’s women’s one‑day history. The left‑hander surpassed her compatriot Poonam Raut, who previously led that list. Mandhana, now 29, has become a perpetual headache for English new‑ball bowlers.
She began the innings with Pratika Raval, a right‑hander still settling into international cricket. Together they stitched 64 for the first wicket, giving the middle order a platform. Mandhana threaded drives through cover, managed singles smartly, and refused risky lifts over the in‑field. Her dismissal, caught at deep square, halted a fluent stay but left India at 86 for one after sixteen overs—solid ground on a surface offering pace but little lateral movement.
Harmanpreet Kaur Leads by Example with Centurion’s Authority
Captain Harmanpreet picked up where Mandhana paused. Walking in at number four, she counter‑punched almost instantly. Her 102 from 84 deliveries was an innings of classical authority and modern acceleration. Facing seam and spin with equal assurance, she cleared long‑on twice and pierced gaps with wrists that flicked rather than forced.
Harmanpreet’s hundred pushed India past the three‑hundred mark. Support came from Jemimah Rodrigues, who steadied the middle overs with a composed fifty, and from Harleen Deol’s tidy 45 that bridged early consolidation and final assault. The closing fireworks were lit by Richa Ghosh, whose unbeaten 38 off eighteen balls included two thunderous sixes. Ghosh’s cameo ensured India carried momentum into the interval.
England’s Response: A Brave Pursuit Falls Short
England required 319, a record women’s chase on home turf had they succeeded. Emma Lamb set the tone with 68, driving crisply through extra cover. Nat Sciver‑Brunt, leading the hosts in Heather Knight’s absence, nearly pulled off the miracle. Her 98 anchored the hunt until a miscued ramp landed in Mandhana’s palms at backward point. Two short of a deserved ton, she trudged off as Indian fielders erupted around her.
Alice Davidson‑Richards chipped in with 44, but once Sciver‑Brunt departed England’s lower order faced rising asking rates and disciplined yorkers from Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar. With fourteen needed from the final three balls, Vastrakar uprooted Sarah Glenn’s off stump. Celebrations began before third‑umpire confirmation of a clean bowled verdict.
Series Overview: Tour of Firsts for India Women
India started July with a clear mission: overturn a patchy English record. The visitors captured the T20s two‑one, powered by all‑round displays from Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma. The ODI leg promised stiffer resistance. England drew first blood at Hove, chasing 241 with comfort. India roared back in Taunton, Harmanpreet carving 87 in a 27‑run win. Durham became the finale, and India rose highest when pressure peaked.
For Mandhana, personal milestones now sit alongside team success. She averages over fifty in England, scoring heavily across three tours. Her adaptability—forward press against swing, late cut versus spin, unhurried pacing—has transformed her into the most accomplished overseas opener England has faced.
Statistical Snapshot
Mandhana’s 715 runs have arrived in 14 innings at 55. She owns three centuries and four fifties on English strips. The previous overseas benchmark, Poonam Raut’s 697, lasted eight summers. Behind them lodges Australia’s Alyssa Healy on 642.
Harmanpreet, meanwhile, crossed four thousand ODI runs during her hundred, moving past Meg Lanning and closing in on Mithali Raj’s Indian tally. Richa Ghosh lifted her career strike rate beyond 112, the highest among current Indian batters with fifty‑plus ODI appearances.
What Next for the World Cup Roadmap?
The immediate future brings a quiet phase. India return home before heading to South Africa for a tri‑nation pre‑World Cup tournament in September. England, smarting from dual series losses, face Australia in the Ashes rematch next month.
Head coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar lauded his squad’s resilience. “Winning here, across formats, shows depth,” he said at the presentation. Mandhana echoed that sentiment, crediting bowling coach Troy Cooley for seamers’ end‑overs clarity.
India’s women have often flirted with greatness abroad without sealing it. This July they seized it. Back‑to‑back series wins in England testify to strategic planning, evolving fitness, and an aggressive batting mindset. Mandhana’s record symbolizes that evolution—an opener mastering foreign conditions through technique and temperament.
England will regroup; they remain a formidable white‑ball side. Yet this tour underscores a shifting landscape in women’s cricket. India no longer arrive as challengers hoping for an upset. They land as contenders expecting to win. For schoolchildren watching Mandhana’s cover‑drives slice English mist, that belief may be her greatest gift beyond the numbers.
