The Indian squad celebrates their hard-fought victory in the first ODI match against England.
As the series reaches its climax, India is eyeing a complete series shutout in Thursday's final ODI. Mithali Raj's side has been in overwhelming form, first winning by 66 runs and then securing a decisive seven-wicket victory to lead the series 2-0.
More importantly, these results have handed India four essential ICC Championship points during a critical qualification phase for the 2021 World Cup. Since two more points are available, the home team will likely stick with their current successful lineup rather than experimenting.
The arrival of coach W V Raman seems to have sparked a new level of excellence in the team. Smriti Mandhana, currently the world's top-ranked player, has been in sensational form, notably scoring a fluid 63 that anchored the most recent victory.
Captain Mithali Raj, the all-time leading run-scorer in ODIs, has remained consistent with scores of 44 and 47. Both she and Mandhana will look to maintain this momentum. Meanwhile, veteran Punam Raut has justified her return to the squad, edging out Harleen Deol with a steady 32.
Raut's performance suggests she has overcome previous mental hurdles. However, she and the young talent Jemimah Rodrigues need to work on converting their promising starts into bigger totals. Additionally, the team will need contributions from Deepti Sharma, Mona Meshram, and Taniya Bhatia if the top order fails.
The bowling attack has been flawless. Pace veterans Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey have dominated at the Wankhede Stadium, claiming 5 and 6 wickets respectively. England has also struggled significantly against India's spin trio of Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav, and Ekta Bisht.
Ekta Bisht's four-wicket haul in the first game was a turning point for the hosts. England's woes have been compounded by the loss of all-rounder Sophie Ecclestone, who is out for the rest of the tour with a broken hand. Now, England is playing for pride, hoping to snatch the final two ICC points before moving to the T20I series in Guwahati next month.
Aside from Heather Knight and Natalie Sciver, England's supporting cast has struggled to impact the game. On the positive side, their pacers—Anya Shrubsole, Georgia Elwiss, and Katherine Brunt—remain a threat. While India are the clear favorites, England could still pull off a surprise to prevent a total whitewash.
Probable Squads: India Women: Mithali Raj (C), Jhulan Goswami, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (WK), R Kalpana (WK), Mona Meshram, Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Mansi Joshi, Punam Raut, Harleen Deol.
England Women: Heather Knight (C), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Alex Hartley, Amy Jones, Laura Marsh, Nat Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor (WK), Lauren Winfield, and Danni Wyatt. Start time: 9 AM.