IND A vs ENG A Women, 1st T20: Kashvee, Shreyanka show their mettle as India pips England by three runs

England Women’s A group was cruising at 114 for 5 till the 18th over, in pursuit of India A’s 134 for seven, when right-arm seamer Kashvee Gautam struck twice in a span of two deliveries.

That proved to be a game-changing second as India A managed to drag off a three-run win within the first T20 on the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.

In a low-scoring affair, England A wanted 23 runs within the final three overs, and with Hollie Armitage taking advantage of a reprieve and laying the muse with a gritty 52 off 41, Indian bowlers had been feeling the warmth.

However, Kashvee (two for 23), who not too long ago claimed a five-wicket haul – together with a hat-trick – for North Zone in opposition to North East Zone within the BCCI Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal T20 Trophy at Lucknow, remained calm and dismissed Seren Smale and Issy Wong in fast succession to deliver India A again on monitor.

England couldn’t recuperate from these fast blows.

In the final over, it wanted 13 runs, and regardless of Shreyanka Patil (two for 26) beginning off the over with a large and a 4, the younger offie managed to carry her nerves and declare two wickets to information India house.

“Before the last over, I was near the boundary line and our coach Nooshin Ma’am (Nooshin Al Khadeer) asked how much I could defend in the last over, and I confidently told her that I would defend six to seven runs. But the first ball went for five runs, but I knew that I could get the job done. I kept calm,” Shreyanka, who was adjudged the participant of the match, stated.

“I have done this before, and it’s not easy to bowl at the death with 13 runs needed. But I knew I could get the job done…”

The Bengaluru-based all-rounder, nevertheless, agreed that India A was about ‘10 to 15 runs short’, batting first. Having received the toss, the house group opted to bat, however it misplaced opener Uma Chetry early on. Though Vrinda Dinesh’s 22 in as many deliveries and Disha Kast’s 32-ball-25 steadied the ship, the group did not forge any large partnerships.

It would have struggled to breach the 120-run mark had Kanika Ahuja and Arushi Goel not chipped in with quickfire knocks. Their cameos helped the group attain a good complete, which the bowlers managed to defend.