England fell to a second successive defeat against India at Bristol on Tuesday, losing by 24 runs in their chase of 182.
It was a case of deja vu for English fans, as the home side once again inserted India, conceded far too many runs for comfort, and failed to get within touching distance of their target after a tumble of early wickets.
Tammy Beaumont’s first T20 international half-century since September 2021 brought a glimmer of hope to the chase, but she was run out by Radha Yadav in the 12th over, and England were left with too much to do at the death, despite a late flurry of boundaries from Sophie Ecclestone who was run out for 35 off the final ball of the innings.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge avoided the ignominy of a fourth successive duck thanks to a tickle off an inside-edge, but then plonked her next ball into the hands of mid-off, doing nothing to dispel the question marks hanging over her current place at the top of the order.
India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, returning to the fray after missing the first T20 with a head injury, then held on to a fantastic catch running round from mid-on to see off her opposite number, Nat Sciver-Brunt, leaving England three down in the first four overs. The agonised expression on Sciver-Brunt’s face as she walked slowly off the pitch told a thousand stories.
Sciver-Brunt had earlier been unexpectedly absent for three-quarters of the India innings with a “tight hip”, meaning the responsibility fell to the stand-in captain Ecclestone to rotate the English bowlers and somehow stem the Indian flow.
But despite the loss of three Indian wickets in the powerplay – including Saturday’s centurion Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet herself – India rampaged their way to 181 for four.
The huge acceleration between overs eight and 20 came courtesy of half-centuries from Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur. For the 24-year-old Amanjot, who scythed the English spinners with ease, this was a proud moment: her first 50 for her country.
Meanwhile Rodrigues – who knows English wickets of old via both the Kia Super League and the Hundred – dealt well with the pace of Lauren Filer, twice ramping her to the boundary before diving to make her ground and bring up her own half-century amid a chaotic, 18-run over.
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Lauren Bell – newly-promoted to No 4 in the ICC’s T20 bowling rankings – lived up to that billing, returning at the death to have Rodrigues caught off a slower ball. But Richa Ghosh then flailed her way to 32 from 20 balls, helped by a let-off on 12 by Beaumont, who somehow stumbled at square leg and let the ball slip through her cupped hands.
Earlier, after a rogue opening over from Alice Capsey which went for 11 runs courtesy of two beautiful cuts for four by Mandhana, England’s three quicks had dominated the powerplay, taking a wicket apiece.
Shafali Verma departed after fending off a Filer bouncer, before Bell and Em Arlott held onto catches at mid-on and short fine leg which were tougher than several England put down on Saturday.
But Rodrigues and Amanjot led the fightback, and India were triumphant in the evening sunshine. They will have the chance to seal a series win in the third T20 at the Oval on Friday.