Smriti Mandhana scores half-century as India level series 1-1

Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana struck an unbroken half-century to aid the visitors. India levelled the series with an eight-wicket victory at the Country Ground in Derby late on Tuesday after falling to England women by nine wickets in the first T20 International.

With just two wickets lost and 20 balls remaining, India was able to chase down England’s tough 142/6 with to Mandhana’s 53-ball 79.

The third and last T20I will be played on Thursday in Bristol, and then attention will turn to the One-day International series, which starts on September 18 in Hove.

The total proved too low for India, who batted with much more authority in the chase after Shafali Verma (20) and Mandhana gave India a strong start of 55 runs on a day when Freya Kemp became the youngest woman to score a T20I half-century for England.

By the time the youthful opener left in the sixth over, Verma had established a strong base from which Mandhana had really taken off, scoring at a strike rate of nearly 150 and smashing 13 boundaries.

India approached their assignment at Derby’s Incora County Ground with calm after their struggles in their opening game, which they lost by nine wickets, and without any of the soggy and damp English conditions to worry them.

Then, Mandhana and Verma put on an opening partnership of 55 before Verma left after a quick return catch to Sophie Ecclestone. But the foreigners prevailed thanks to an unbroken 69-run partnership with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (29 not out).

Brief scores: England 142 for 6 in 20 overs (Freya Kemp 51 not out; Sneh Rana 3/24) lost to India 146 for 2 in 16.4 overs (Smriti Mandhana 79 not out) by eight wickets.