Smriti, bowlers set up India's win over England in final T20

The India opener hits 48 as hosts overhaul a modest target for a consolation victory in the three-game series 

- Aditya Chaturvedi

It was a dead rubber, but India women put up a determined performance in the field to defeat England by five wickets in the third T20 International at the Wankhede Stadium here on Sunday. Despite losing the second T20I a day earlier after being dismissed for 80 runs, Harmanpreet Kaur and Co held their nerves while batting to avoid conceding a series sweep. England won the series 2-1.

Opting to bat, England were bowled out for 126 off the last ball of the innings after a half-century by skipper Heather Knight. In reply, India rode on a run-a-ball 48 by opener Smriti Mandhana to complete the chase in 19 overs.

India lost the wicket of Shafali Verma early in the chase, with the batter shuffling too far and playing a nothing shot to be bowled by Freya Kemp. Smriti and Jemimah Rodrigues (29 off 33 balls) got together to add a match-winning partnership of 57 runs for the second wicket. Both batters did especially well to hit 19 runs off the first two overs of Sophie Ecclestone, England’s most accomplished bowler.