India women's cricket team's dismal home T20I record continues with loss against England

India suffered a comprehensive 38-run defeat against England in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. After opting to bowl, India produced a poor fielding and bowling performance, except for Renuka Singh’s 3/27, to allow England to score a massive 197/6. In reply, India were halted at 159/6 to concede a 1-0 lead in the series. Only Shafali Verma (52 off 42 balls) mounted a big individual total in the Indian run chase. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur (26) and Richa Ghosh (21) got going but were not able to make it big as India failed to mount a serious challenge to the big target. Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of the England bowlers with figures of 3/15 as she accounted for Shafali, Harmanpreet and Kanika Ahuja. Earlier, fifties by Danni Wyatt (75) and Natalie Sciver-Brunt (77) powered England women to 197 for six despite some early wobbles. Wyatt and Sciver-Brunt put on a record 138 runs for the third wicket, which was also their first century stand against India in T20Is. Renuka Singh Thakur (4-0-27-3) was pick of the Indian bowlersas she struck twice in a row in the first over to dismiss Sophie Dunkley (1) and Alice Capsey (0). But Wyatt and Sciver-Brunt’s counter-attacking cricket saw England dominating the remainder of the first innings. With the latest loss, India’s dreadful record in T20Is at home continued. India women’s cricket team have played 51 T20I matches at home (since 2010) and won just 19, losing 31, one finishing in a tie. It means India have a dreadful win-loss record of 0.612. India have not won a T20I match at home since March 2021 when they beat South Africa in Lucknow. Since then, India have endured five defeats, including the one on Wednesday, with one more finishing in a tie. India have an equally poor record against England in general and at home. India and England have now squared off 28 times in T20I matches with India winning just seven of them while England have triumphed in the remaining 21 matches. India’s last T20I win against England came in September 2022. Since then, England have lapped up three wins in a row. Things don’t get better at home for India against England. At home, in 10 matches, India have only two wins to show for it, the most recent success coming more than five years ago in March 2018 at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. India will have an opportunity to improve these sorry statistics when the two sides meet on 9 December and 10 December with the second and third T20Is.