India’s women’s cricket team clinched a historic T20I series win on English soil with a six-wicket victory over the hosts in the fourth match at Old Trafford on Wednesday. The win gave India an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series — their first-ever series triumph in England across formats.
After restricting England to 126 for 7, the visitors chased down the target in 17 overs, riding on a solid all-round team performance. Jemimah Rodrigues (28 not out) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (30) stitched together a crucial 48-run partnership that put India on the brink of victory, which they sealed with 18 balls to spare.
India’s openers laid the foundation with a blistering 56-run stand in just 5.4 overs. Shafali Verma made 28 off 18 balls while Smriti Mandhana top-scored with 32. Despite losing both openers in quick succession, India never looked in trouble.
Earlier, England, after opting to bat first, looked steady at 68 for 2 around the halfway mark, thanks to a 35-run partnership between captain Tammy Beaumont and Alice Capsey. But a disciplined Indian bowling attack triggered a collapse, allowing just 42 runs and claiming five wickets in the final nine overs.
Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav led the charge with impressive figures of 2 for 15 from her four overs, while Shree Charani also took two wickets for 30. England’s late surge — a 16-run final over by Issy Wong and Sophie Ecclestone — wasn’t enough to post a competitive total.
This result marked a milestone for India, who had previously lost all six multi-game bilateral series in England. The Harmanpreet-led side had kicked off the campaign with a record 97-run win at Trent Bridge — their biggest T20I win over England — followed by a 24-run victory in Bristol. England pulled one back in the third T20I with a narrow five-run win.
The fifth and final T20I will be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Saturday.
Brief scores:
England 126/7 in 20 overs (Sophia Dunkley 22; Radha Yadav 2/15, Shree Charani 2/30)
India 127/4 in 17 overs (Smriti Mandhana 32, Jemimah Rodrigues 28 not out; Sophie Ecclestone 1/20)
India won by 6 wickets.
India lead the five-match series 3-1.
