On This Day: England Women Crush India by 9 Runs to Clinch the ICC Women’s World Cup Title

On this day, India was just steps away from lifting their first-ever ICC Women’s World Cup title. Chasing 229, the team looked in control at 191 for 4, but a sudden collapse saw them bowled out for 219, falling just 9 runs short. England held their nerve and claimed the title. It was a painful end to a brave campaign and a moment that still stings for many Indian fans.

India Women vs England Women: ICC Women’s World Cup Finals

With the big day of the ICC Women’s World Cup final on July 23, 2017, at Lord’s, London, England, Women faced India Women in an exciting 50-over battle. England chose to bat first and scored 228 for 7, giving India a target of 229 to chase. The match was full of twists, with England’s steady batting and India’s brave effort making it a game to remember. Anya Shrubsole’s amazing bowling won her Player of the Match, and Tammy Beaumont’s great tournament performance earned her Player of the Series.

England Women started their innings with a plan to build a strong total on the famous Lord’s pitch. Openers Lauren Winfield-Hill and Tammy Beaumont faced India’s tight bowling, led by Jhulan Goswami, who bowled with great control. The pair played carefully, scoring 43 runs in the first 10 overs, known as the mandatory powerplay, without losing any wickets. Winfield-Hill looked solid, hitting four boundaries in her 24 runs off 35 balls, with a strike rate of 68.57. But in the 11th over, Rajeshwari Gayakwad got her out, bowled, ending the opening stand at 47. Beaumont, who hit five fours in her 23 off 37 balls (strike rate 62.16), was next to go, caught off Poonam Yadav’s spin in the 14th over, leaving England at 60 for 2.

Things got tougher when captain Heather Knight was dismissed for just 1 run off 7 balls in the 16th over. Poonam Yadav trapped her lbw after India used a review, which showed the ball hitting the stumps. At 63 for 3, England were in a spot of bother. Sarah Taylor and Nat Sciver-Brunt then stepped up to steady the ship. Taylor played a calm innings, scoring 45 off 62 balls with a strike rate of 72.58, while Sciver-Brunt was more attacking, making 51 off 68 balls with five fours.

Their 83-run partnership for the fourth wicket was the heart of England’s innings, taking them past 100 runs in the 24th over and to 146 by the 32nd. But India fought back hard. Jhulan Goswami struck twice in the 32nd over, getting Taylor caught by Sushma Verma and Fran Wilson lbw for 0 off just 1 ball, leaving England at 146 for 5. India’s bowlers, especially Goswami, kept England from running away with the score. Goswami bowled 10 overs, giving away only 23 runs and taking 3 wickets, with just one four hit off her.

Poonam Yadav was also key, taking 2 wickets for 36 runs, including the big scalps of Beaumont and Knight. Rajeshwari Gayakwad took 1 for 49, while Shikha Pandey (0 for 53) and Deepti Sharma (0 for 39) were a bit costly but bowled tight lines to limit boundaries. Harmanpreet Kaur bowled four overs for 25 runs, adding pressure. England’s scoring rate stayed at 4.56 runs per over, showing how well India bowled. The second powerplay, from overs 35.1 to 40, was slow, with only 13 runs scored and one wicket lost, as India kept things tight.

Katherine Sciver-Brunt gave England a late boost, scoring 34 off 42 balls with two fours, but she was run out in the 46th over. Her partnership with Jenny Gunn, who did not get out on 25 off 38 balls with one four, helped England get closer to 200. Laura Marsh chipped in with a quick 14 not out off 11 balls, hitting one four, to push the score further. England ended at 228 for 7, with 11 extras (7 wides, 3 leg-byes, 1 no-ball). The total was good but not out of India’s reach, setting up a thrilling chase.

England’s innings was a mix of careful play and some bold shots, with Taylor and Sciver-Brunt’s stand being the highlight, but India’s bowlers, led by Goswami, made sure the target was chaseable. India Women began their chase of 229 with a shock, as Smriti Mandhana was bowled by Anya Shrubsole for 0 off 4 balls in the second over, leaving them at 5 for 1. Punam Raut and captain Mithali Raj settled things down, adding 38 runs for the second wicket.

Raj scored 17 off 31 balls with three fours, but she was run out in the 12th over after a quick throw from Nat Sciver-Brunt to Sarah Taylor, making it 43 for 2. Raut then found a strong partner in Harmanpreet Kaur, and they built a vital 95-run stand for the third wicket. Raut played a steady 86 off 115 balls, hitting four fours and one six at a strike rate of 74.78, reaching her fifty off 75 balls. Kaur was more aggressive, scoring 51 off 80 balls with three fours and two sixes, keeping India ahead of the required rate. By the 33rd over, India were 138 for 3, looking strong.

Kaur was caught by Tammy Beaumont off Alex Hartley in the 33rd over, bringing Veda Krishnamurthy to the crease. Raut and Krishnamurthy added 53 runs, with Krishnamurthy’s quick 35 off 34 balls, including five fours and a strike rate of 102.94, keeping the chase on track. India passed 150 in the 35th over and reached 191 for 3 by the 42nd, needing 38 runs off the last 48 balls. But Shrubsole’s return in the 42nd over changed everything. She got Raut lbw for 86, and the decision stood as Raut took too long to review.

This was a big blow, as Raut had been the anchor. India then made a mistake by sending Sushma Verma ahead of Deepti Sharma. Verma lasted just 2 balls, bowled by Hartley in the 43rd over after a poor sweep shot deflected onto her stumps, leaving India at 196 for 5. In the 44th over, Shrubsole struck again, getting Krishnamurthy caught at midwicket for 35 after a mistimed slog, and bowled Jhulan Goswami for 0 with a sharp inswinger, reducing India to 201 for 7.

Deepti Sharma, scoring 14 off 12 balls with one four, and Shikha Pandey, with 4 off 8, tried to keep the chase alive. But in the 47th over, Pandey was run out after a mix-up, with Sarah Taylor’s quick glovework catching her short, making it 218 for 8. The 48th over was dramatic as Shrubsole had Sharma caught at midwicket, and though Poonam Yadav survived a dropped catch at mid-off, staying not out on 1, Shrubsole sealed the game in the 48.4th over by bowling Rajeshwari Gayakwad for 0. India finished at 219, just 9 runs short.

Shrubsole’s 6 for 46 was the game-changer, her swinging deliveries and clever pace changes tearing through India’s lower order. Alex Hartley took 2 for 58, including Verma’s wicket, while Jenny Gunn’s tight 0 for 17 and a run-out added pressure. India’s collapse from 191 for 3 was due to some rash shots and England’s sharp fielding. Despite Raut and Kaur’s strong foundation, India couldn’t keep the runs flowing in the final overs. The match was a perfect end to the tournament, with England winning their fourth World Cup in a nail-biting finish, leaving India heartbroken but proud of their fight.