Brunt hands England consolation win, India clinch ODI series

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], Feb 28 (ANI): England denied India their one-day international clean-sweep as fast bowler Katherine Brunt took a five-wicket haul to hand the visitors a consolation two-wicket victory at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Playing her 50th ODI, player of the series Mandhana formed the spine of India’s innings after captain Mithali Raj opted to bat. The southpaw formed a critical stand worth 129 runs with Punam Raut before Brunt, adjudged player of the match, rattled the middle order to pick five wickets and gave away only 28 runs in her 10 overs quota to restrict India on 205 for eight.
England, in reply, suffered an early wobble at 5 for 49 as Goswami dismantled the top-order of the visitors. Their leading run-getter Natalie Sciver, who had played a lone battle in the second game, returned to the pavilion without disturbing the scoreboard much. The all-rounder departed for one on a return ball produced by spinner Deepti Sharma.
Heather Knight, England captain, and Danielle Wyatt in the middle kept ticking their scoreboard. However, India got the much-needed breakthrough as leg spinner Poonam Yadav dismissed Knight, who was three shy from her fifty.
The top scorer Wyatt shrugged off the dent as she found new support at the other end in Georgia Elwiss before Wyatt was dismissed off pacer Shikha Pandey’s delivery.
Brunt walked in to seal the win but lost her wicket to Poonam as she gave a simple catch to Raut for 18. With two runs required to make the series 1-2 against India, Anya Shrubsole smashed a classic four in style.
Earlier, Mandhana blazed a 74-ball 66, which saw eight boundaries and one six before giving a simple catch to Wyatt off Brunt’s delivery. In the same over, Brunt also struck Raut for 56 off 97 deliveries, tilting the pressure on India. An on-fire Brunt then cleaned up captain Raj and took a fifer as she rattled the middle order. However, Deepti and Pandey with their cameos of 27 and 26 respectively, helped India push the total.
India swept four ICC Women’s Championship points, which has elevated them to the second position with 16 points from 15 games. Meanwhile, England remained at the seventh position with 12 points from as many games.
Brief scores: England women 208/8 (DN Wyatt 56, HC Knight 47, J Goswami 3-41, S Pandey 2-34, P Yadav 2-41) defeated India women 205/8 (S Mandhana 66, PG Raut 56, KH Brunt 5-28) by two wickets. (ANI)