England Girls’s A staff 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 have been feeling the warmth.
Nonetheless, 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 Girls’s Inter-Zonal T20 Trophy at Lucknow, remained calm and dismissed Seren Smale and Issy Wong in fast succession to convey India A again on observe.
England couldn’t recuperate from these fast blows.
Within 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 dwelling.
“Earlier than the final over, I used to be close to the boundary line and our coach Nooshin Ma’am (Nooshin Al Khadeer) requested how a lot I might defend within the final over, and I confidently advised her that I’d defend six to seven runs. However the first ball went for 5 runs, however I knew that I might get the job carried out. I saved calm,” Shreyanka, who was adjudged the participant of the match, mentioned.
“I’ve carried out this earlier than, and it’s not straightforward to bowl on the loss of life with 13 runs wanted. However I knew I might get the job carried out…”
The Bengaluru-based all-rounder, nevertheless, agreed that India A was about ‘10 to fifteen runs quick’, batting first. Having received the toss, the house staff opted to bat, but it surely misplaced opener Uma Chetry early on. Although Vrinda Dinesh’s 22 in as many deliveries and Disha Kast’s 32-ball-25 steadied the ship, the staff did not forge any large partnerships.
It might have struggled to breach the 120-run mark had Kanika Ahuja and Arushi Goel not chipped in with quickfire knocks. Their cameos helped the staff attain a good whole, which the bowlers managed to defend.