India lose to England by four runs in ICC Women’s World Cup cricket

England rallied to unafraid their semifinal spot astatine the World Cup portion India’s decision jeopardises their last-four chances.

England dug successful for a four-run triumph implicit India to clinch a semifinal spot astatine the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup connected Sunday, leaving the tourney co-hosts successful a five-way contention for the remaining spot successful the last four.

Chasing a winning people of 289, India stumbled from a presumption of spot to autumn conscionable abbreviated arsenic they were restricted to 284-5 successful their 50 overs.

India were connected people for triumph for overmuch of their innings – Smriti Mandhana top-scored with 88, portion skipper Harmanpreet Kaur deed a run-a-ball 70.

England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt picked up 2-47 and left-arm spinner Linsey Smith bowled a choky spell of 1-40 successful 10 overs, including the cardinal wicket of Mandhana, to use the brakes connected the location squad and assistance propulsion disconnected a stunning win.

It was India’s 3rd consecutive nonaccomplishment – pursuing defeats to Australia and South Africa – and stunned the location assemblage astatine Holkar Stadium.

This was aft England opted to bat archetypal and posted 288-8, with Heather Knight contributing 109 disconnected 91 balls.

England joined defending champions Australia and South Africa successful the semifinals with a 4th triumph successful 5 games. The four-time champions adjacent play Australia connected Wednesday astatine the aforesaid venue.

India are inactive 4th with 4 points from 5 games and request a monolithic turnaround successful signifier against New Zealand connected Thursday and Bangladesh connected Sunday successful their remaining 2 radical games.

“Smriti’s dismissal was the turning point,” Kaur said. “We had capable batting to decorativeness the game, but I don’t cognize however things went the different way. Credit to England – they kept bowling good and kept getting wickets.”

Co-hosts Sri Lanka instrumentality connected Bangladesh successful Navi Mumbai connected Monday.

England’s Linsey Smith, right, celebrates aft taking the cardinal wicket of Mandhana for 88 during the India tally pursuit [Ajit Solanki/AP Photo]

India travel close

The pursuit did not get disconnected to the champion start. Pratika Rawal was caught down for six, portion Charlie Dean trapped Harleen Deol limb earlier wicket for 24.

Mandhana and Kaur past combined astatine 42-2, and the brace added 125 runs disconnected 122 balls for the 3rd wicket, with India seemingly cruising connected a batting-friendly surface.

Kaur reached her half-century disconnected 54 balls, portion Mandhana was contented with playing an anchoring role. She reached her 2nd consecutive 50 disconnected 60 balls.

Sciver-Brunt got the breakthrough to disregard Kaur, but India were inactive favourites to win.

Deepti Sharma deed 50 disconnected 57, and enactment connected 67 disconnected 66 with Mandhana.

India needed 62 disconnected the past 60 deliveries, but momentum swung erstwhile Mandhana went for a large changeable against Smith successful the 42nd implicit and was caught connected the boundary.

India slipped from 234-3 to 262-6 successful 33 deliveries with Sharma retired caught disconnected Sophie Ecclestone (1-58) successful the 47th over.

England piled connected the unit arsenic Amanjot Kaur (18 not out) and Sneh Rana (10 not out) were incapable to decorativeness disconnected the chase.

India’s Amanjot Kaur, left, and Sneh Rana respond aft losing the lucifer against England astatine Holkar Cricket Stadium [Surjeet Yadav/MB Media via Getty Images]

Knight shines

Knight scored her 3rd ODI 100 to pb England’s innings.

England made a bully commencement with openers Tammy Beaumont (22) and Amy Jones putting connected 73 runs. Jones scored 56 disconnected 68 balls.

Off-spinner Sharma accounted for some openers earlier Knight took implicit the innings, including a 113-run third-wicket basal with Sciver-Brunt (38 disconnected 49).

“I got myself successful and enactment down the accelerator. It felt similar we needed 300 connected that pitch, but it was frustrating to not get determination successful the end,” Knight said. “I was hopeless to enactment successful a connection show for my 300th [international game] and I americium pleased to bash that.”

Knight reached her period disconnected 86 balls, including 14 fours and a six. She was tally retired successful the 45th implicit arsenic England slipped towards the end, conceding 5 wickets for 31 runs crossed 5.1 overs.

Sharma returned figures of 4-51 successful 10 overs and followed up with a half-century, but it was not capable connected the day.

Heather Knight’s blistering 109 runs disconnected conscionable 91 balls acceptable the code for the England triumph against India [Ajit Solanki/AP Photo]