Image: India Women beat England Women in the 1st ODI at Southampton / © ESPNCricinfo
After winning the T20 Series, the Indian team started the ODI leg of their England tour with a bang, clinching a thrilling four-wicket victory in the first ODI at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, on July 16, 2025. Chasing a target of 259 set by England Women, India Women sealed the win with 10 balls to spare, thanks to a match-defining performance by Deepti Sharma, who earned the Player of the Match award for her unbeaten 62 off 64 balls.
England Women won the toss and chose to bat first, hoping to set a strong total on their home ground. But things got off to a shaky start. Young Indian seamer Kranti Goud, playing only her second ODI, struck early, and boy, did she make an impact! In just the second over, she clean-bowled Amy Jones for a measly 1 run off 7 balls. Jones tried to defend a wobble-seam delivery but got completely outfoxed as the ball zipped through her gates. Then, in the fourth over, Goud got Tammy Beaumont for 5 off 7 balls, trapped lbw after a review confirmed the ball was hitting the stumps. England were wobbling at 20/2 after just 3.6 overs, and India’s bowlers were all over them like a rash.
Emma Lamb and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt stepped up to steady the ship. They put together a solid 71-run partnership for the third wicket, playing with caution but finding gaps to keep the scoreboard ticking. Lamb looked comfortable, scoring 39 off 50 balls with four crisp boundaries, while Sciver-Brunt, back from a groin injury, made 41 off 52 balls, hitting five fours with her trademark elegance. They took England to 77/2 by the 14th over, but India’s spinners were starting to make the ball talk. Sneh Rana, with her clever off-spin, broke the stand in the 19th over, getting Lamb to miscue one to mid-off, where Harmanpreet Kaur took a simple catch.
Just 12 balls later, Rana struck again, and this was a big one, Sciver-Brunt drove a flighted ball straight to Jemimah Rodrigues, who pulled off a stunner at short midwicket. England were suddenly 97/4 after 20.1 overs, and India were right back in the game. Enter Sophia Dunkley and Alice Davidson-Richards, who turned things around with a game-changing 106-run stand for the fifth wicket. Dunkley was the star, playing with confidence and a bit of luck as she was dropped on 22, and England made India pay. She smashed 83 off 92 balls, stroking nine fours with crisp timing, while Davidson-Richards played the anchor role, scoring 53 off 73 balls with two fours.
Their partnership was a mix of steady running and picking the right balls to attack, taking England past 150 in the 33rd over. They rode their luck, with Davidson-Richards dropped on 16, but India’s fielding lapses didn’t take away from their grit. The pair pushed England to 203 before Shree Charani, India’s T20 hero, got Davidson-Richards stumped in the 44th over, despite a fumble from keeper Richa Ghosh.
Dunkley kept going, reaching her fifty off 68 balls, and looked set to take England past 260. In the final overs, Sophie Ecclestone chipped in with a quickfire 23 not out off 19 balls, including three boundaries, giving England a late boost. Dunkley fell on the last ball, bowled by Amanjot Kaur’s clever cutter for 83, but England finished at a respectable 258/6 in their 50 overs. The innings had 13 extras (10 wides, 3 leg-byes), which Harmanpreet later said cost them 20-30 runs.
Sneh Rana was India’s standout bowler, with 2 wickets for 31 runs in 10 overs, keeping things tight with 32 dot balls. Kranti Goud also grabbed 2 for 55, while Shree Charani took 1 for 46. Amanjot Kaur and Deepti Sharma bowled 10 overs each, conceding 58 runs apiece, but didn’t get wickets. The pitch showed signs of turn, which England struggled with during overs 13 to 17, going boundary-less for five overs. Despite the middle-order fightback, England’s total felt just about par, setting up a cracking chase.
Chasing 259, India Women needed a solid start, but England’s bowlers came out firing. Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal opened, and Mandhana looked in fine touch, smashing 28 off 24 balls with five gorgeous fours. But Lauren Bell got her in the 8th over, caught behind by Amy Jones, leaving India at 48/1. Rawal and Harleen Deol then steadied things, putting on 46 runs for the second wicket. Rawal played with grit, scoring 36 off 51 balls with three fours, while Deol made 27 off 44 balls, also hitting four boundaries. They took India to 94 before Sophie Ecclestone struck in the 18th over, bowling Rawal with a beauty.
Deol didn’t last long after, running out in the 22nd over thanks to a sharp throw from Alice Davidson-Richards, making it 102/3. Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s captain, came in but struggled to get going, scoring 17 off 27 balls before Charlie Dean trapped her lbw in the 27th over after a successful review. At 124/4, India were in a spot of bother, with the required rate creeping up. But then came the game-changer: a 90-run fifth-wicket stand between Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma. Rodrigues played a gem, scoring 48 off 54 balls with five fours, sweeping and driving with confidence.
Deepti, coming in at No. 6, was the anchor, playing smart cricket and picking her moments to attack. Their partnership brought the target down, with India reaching 200 in the 39th over. Rodrigues fell in the 42nd over, caught by Jones off Lauren Filer, but Deepti kept her cool, reaching her fifty off 52 balls with two fours and a six. Richa Ghosh joined Deepti but couldn’t stick around, stumped off Dean for 10 off 12 balls in the 45th over, leaving India at 229/6. With 30 runs needed off the last five overs, the pressure was on, but Deepti found a calm partner in Amanjot Kaur.
The duo played it smart, with Deepti finishing unbeaten on 62 off 64 balls, including three fours and a six, and Amanjot smashing 20 not out off 14 balls with three boundaries. Amanjot sealed the win with back-to-back fours off Kate Cross in the 49th over, taking India to 262/6 in 48.2 overs. The chase included 14 extras (10 wides, 4 leg-byes), which helped India’s cause. England’s bowlers tried hard, with Charlie Dean leading the way, taking 2 for 52 in 10 overs. Sophie Ecclestone was tight, with 1 for 34 in 10 overs, including a maiden, but couldn’t break through enough.
Lauren Filer and Lauren Bell took a wicket each, conceding 52 and 40 respectively, while Kate Cross went for 60 in 9.2 overs without a wicket. Emma Lamb bowled three overs for 20 runs but didn’t get a breakthrough. England’s fielding was sloppy, with two dropped catches and 14 extras, and a missed review when Deepti was on 40 hurt them badly. Harmanpreet later praised Deepti’s knock and the team’s batting, though she admitted their fielding needed work after missing chances. Deepti’s 62 not out was the difference, guiding India to their second-highest successful ODI chase against England.
In an exciting clash, Jemimah Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma turned the game around for India Women, clinching a win against a tough 259-run target. With India struggling at 124/4 after losing big names, the duo joined forces for a vital fifth-wicket partnership. Their 90-run stand was a perfect mix of grit and skill, pulling the team back from the brink. Jemimah played with confidence, smashing 48 runs off 54 balls with five crisp fours, while Deepti held firm with an unbeaten 62 off 64 balls, hitting three fours and a six.
Together until the 41.3rd over, they swung the game India’s way with smart, steady batting and bursts of aggression. Deepti’s cool-headed approach and Jemimah’s bold strokes tamed England’s bowlers, including spinners Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean. Named TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Day, this partnership showed their knack for rebuilding and taking charge.
Kranti Goud stole the show in India Women’s exciting win, earning her TCNI’s Hero of the Day for her brilliant bowling. With England Women aiming to set a big total, Kranti struck early, shaking their top order. In her nine overs, she gave away 55 runs but grabbed two key wickets that changed the game and first, in the 1.2nd over, she clean-bowled Amy Jones for just 1 run, leaving England at a shaky 8/1.
Then, in the 3.6th over, she got Tammy Beaumont out lbw for 5 runs, putting England in deeper trouble at 20/2. These quick wickets rattled England’s openers and gave India’s bowlers the upper hand and Kranti’s sharp deliveries and cool-headed approach set the stage for a tight bowling effort, even as England reached 258/6 in 50 overs. Her early breakthroughs kept the pressure on, helping India stay in control and chase down the target.