"Dean needs to play": Heather Knight as England stare at T20I series loss

Bristol [UK], July 2 (ANI): Following England Women's defeat against India, former skipper Heather Knight believed that spin all-rounder Charlie Dean should feature in the playing XI for the next match, as she is one of the best bowlers in the line-up.
England fell to a 24-run defeat to India in the second T20I of the five-match series in Bristol on Tuesday and face the prospect of a first bilateral T20I series loss at home since 2023 if they can't find their best form quickly.
While there were plenty of positives from England's improved performance in the second T20I of the series, Knight believes changes must be made to the playing XI to ensure team balance is maximised against a strong Indian batting line-up.
Knight, who is currently out injured with a hamstring problem, has called for the immediate inclusion of bowling all-rounder Charlie Dean ahead of the third match of the series at The Oval in London on Friday.
"Charlie Dean is one of your best five bowlers, and she needs to play. She is a brilliant match-up against Smriti Mandhana with a really good strike rate in the past in the Powerplay, taking wickets, and she is great in the field. So, I imagine Charlie Dean will come in. For me, she would have started the series as she is an exceptional player," Knight told Sky Sports as quoted by ICC.
Knight thinks England have two decisions to ponder when deciding who makes way for Dean, with the most like-for-like option being to omit fellow spinner Linsey Smith.
Left-armer Smith has gone wicketless across the first two matches of the series, and Knight thinks Dean can provide more of a threat to India's batters.
"You either go with two seamers and you rest one of the seamers, or Linsey Smith has had a tough couple of games off the back of a good series against the West Indies. She has looked vulnerable, she probably hasn't changed pace as much as conditions warranted, and she hasn't been quite as accurate as she was in the West Indies," Knight noted.
Knight wants England to continue to play positive cricket against India and thinks the side can still salvage something from the series.
"I think it is important that they don't go into their shells and that spirits remain high. You can't feel sorry for yourself, and that is the main thing they will pass on to you (team management). You can't feel down, and we are still in this series. Yes, we can improve on this. Yes, we can do this better, and they will try and build that confidence back up," Knight added. (ANI)