The final act of the five-match T20I series between England and India at Edgbaston delivered a spectacle truly befitting of the stage. While the series trophy was already destined for India`s cabinet with a commanding 3-1 lead, the teams served up a nail-biting finish, with England ultimately clinching a thrilling five-wicket victory on the very last ball. This hard-fought win secured England a 3-2 series standing, offering a significant consolation and bragging rights from the dramatic finale.
India, batting first, set a challenging target thanks primarily to a stunning display from Shafali Verma. The opener unleashed a torrent of boundaries, blasting her way to 75 runs off just 41 deliveries, an innings punctuated by 13 fours and a six. Despite losing early partners, Verma ensured India maintained a high scoring rate, reaching a formidable 94 for 3 by the halfway mark. However, England`s spinners, led by a sharp spell from Charlie Dean (3 wickets for 23 runs, including the prized scalps of Verma and captain Harmanpreet Kaur) and support from Sophie Ecclestone (2 wickets), managed to rein in the scoring somewhat in the back half. Late contributions helped India push their total to a competitive 167 for 7.
The chase of 168 began in spectacular fashion for England. The opening pair of Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley laid a magnificent foundation, combining for a dominant 101-run partnership. Wyatt-Hodge, celebrating her 300th international appearance, attacked from the outset, top-scoring for England with a fluent 56 off 37 balls. Dunkley provided excellent support, contributing 46 off 30. The duo maximised the Powerplay overs, rocketing to 57 without loss, putting England firmly in the driver`s seat.
However, cricket matches are rarely straightforward, and a mini-collapse after the openers departed added significant drama. Radha Yadav broke the century stand by dismissing Dunkley, and Deepti Sharma quickly followed up by removing Wyatt-Hodge and Maia Bouchier in quick succession. Suddenly, from a position of strength at 101 for 0, England found themselves at 139 for 3. Captain Tammy Beaumont attempted to counter-attack with a valuable 30 off 20 balls, seemingly bringing calm back to the proceedings.
The tension peaked in the final over. With six runs required, Arundhati Reddy delivered a superb start, conceding just one run while taking the wickets of Beaumont and Amy Jones. England needed five runs from the last three balls with just two wickets in hand. Evidentially, finishing early was not on England`s agenda. Under immense pressure, Sophie Ecclestone managed to slice a crucial boundary for three runs, Paige Scholfield scrambled a single, leaving two needed off the final delivery. Despite a desperate run-out attempt at the non-striker`s end, England managed to squeeze the final run, sealing a dramatic and memorable five-wicket victory right at the death.
The win marked England`s highest successful T20I chase at home, a testament to the explosive start and the nerve shown in the dying moments. While the series trophy went to India (3-2), England`s thrilling comeback win at Edgbaston provided a thrilling conclusion and valuable momentum moving forward. A superb demonstration of T20 cricket from both sides, right down to the wire.
