Australia Women’s Tri-Nation T20I Series, 2020: Match 1, England Women vs India Women – A big chase by India, Harmanpreet's milestones, Knight's T20I best and more stats

India Women kick-started the Women’s T20I Tri-Nation series with a close victory against the England Women at the Manuka Oval. Electing to bowl first, India reduced the England team to 59/4 by end of the 10th over. However, skipper Heather Knight (67) and Tammy Beaumont (37) pushed their total to 147/7. By halfway stage in the chase, India lost their top three batters but were scoring at 8 runs an over. Some tight overs brought down the equation to 26 runs from the last 3 overs. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur eased the pressure with unbeaten 34-ball 42 and sealed a 5-wicket win with three balls to spare.

All the statistical highlights from India’s victory in the opening game of the Tri-nation series:

A big chase and a close win:

148 – The 148-run chase by India Women in this game is their 2nd biggest successful chase in T20I cricket. India Women’s biggest chase in this format was 165 against South Africa during the 2018 Potchefstroom T20I.

3 – Only the 3rd time India Women won a T20I match with as few as three balls to spare. They chased down the target of 96 against New Zealand in 2011 and the target of 116 against West Indies in 2012; both with one ball to spare.

A rare win for India over England:

4-14 – This was only the 4th win for India Women over England in the T20I format across 18 matches. India Women’s last T20I win against England came during the 2018 Tri-series at home but lost four in a row after that.

India’s winning streak:

6* – India Women now have won each of their last T20I matches; a streak that began with the 5-0 series win in the Caribbean Islands. This is now their joint 2nd longest winning streak in this format behind the 7 successive wins in 2018.

Harmanpreet – The finisher:

12 – Number of times Harmanpreet Kaur remained unbeaten in a successful T20I chase; the joint 2nd most times any player stood unbeaten in successful T20I chases in Women’s cricket.

Only Deandra Dottin is ahead of Kaur in this list as she remained unbeaten in 13 successful T20I chases. Harmanpreet’s 12 unbeaten knocks are also the most for India Women in successful T20I chases surpassing Mithali Raj’s 11.

Kaur goes past Kohli and Dhoni:

1150 – Runs Harmanpreet Kaur aggregated as captain in T20I cricket; the 5th most by a captain in Women’s T20Is. These are now the most T20I runs as the Indian captain across Men’s and Women’s cricket. Kaur went past Virat Kohli (1137) and MS Dhoni (1112) with her unbeaten 42 in this match. Interestingly, Kohli surpassed Dhoni’s tally during the 3rd T20I against New Zealand on Wednesday.

A milestone game for Harmanpreet as Indian captain:

50 – The game against England was the 50th T20I as captain for Harmanpreet Kaur. She is now the first Indian and only the 8th in Women’s T20I cricket to complete 50 matches as captain.

Knight’s best T20I knock:

67 – Heather Knight’s 67-run knock in this game is her highest score in the T20I format. Her previous highest T20I score was 51 against Australia Women in 2017 also at the Manuka Oval.

1 – Heather Knight’s 67 is now the first fifty by an England captain coming in the losing cause in Women’s T20I cricket. The previous highest Women’s T20I score by an England captain in a defeat was Charlotte Edwards’ 44 against West Indies in the 2014 Women’s WT20 game.