India Women have never played at New Road, Worcester, and that is where they will take on England Women in the last ODI of the three-match series. The unfamiliarity may come to their advantage, for England have not done too well here, having won twice and lost thrice. Nowhere on English soil have England Women done worse in ODIs.
However, if recent form is anything to go by, England are overwhelming favourites. In the first ODI, they restricted India to 201/8 and won inside 35 overs. India pushed harder in the second ODI, putting up 221 and reducing England to 133/5. But even at this point, India allowed too many easy singles, allowing Sophia Dunkley and Heather Knight to get their eyes in and keep the asking rate under control without having to take risks.
Another 25 runs might have won India the match. That did not happen largely due to a middle order that faltered twice in the series now. At Bristol, India had been reduced to 27/2, and Punam Raut and Mithali Raj decided to drop anchor. At Taunton, however, the Indian openers had added 56 in 71 balls. India should have got 250 from there, but their batters failed to get the runs. When they did, they got them too slowly.
Despite the start, India might have scored fewer in the second ODI than they did in the first, had No. 10 Jhulan Goswami and No. 11 Poonam Yadav not added 29 in 22 balls. Their bowlers did decently, and may do better with a bigger target to defend.
Raj had injured her neck in the last match and did not field. She was seen at the ground today and is likely to play. If she does not, India may want to have another look at Raut.
There are no qualms for England, who were clinical in both wins. Their seamers – Brunt, Anya Shrubsole, Kate Cross – have all looked good, while Sophie Ecclestone demonstrated her skills, deceiving the batters in air. The batting, too, has looked solid, with different cricketers rising to the challenge in different matches.
Head to head
England have a slight upper hand here, having won 39 matches and lost 30. However, they have an overwhelming 24-5 lead at home.
Likely XIs
England Women: Lauren Winfield-Hill, Tammy Beaumont (c), Heather Knight, Nat Sciver, Amy Jones (wk), Sophia Dunkley, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Anya Shrubsole, Kate Cross.
India Women: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami, Poonam Yadav.
Prediction
England to win and whitewash the series.