India learn from England’s mistakes as Smriti Mandhana hits 91 in first ODI

Jhulan Goswami’s farewell tour started with a flourish as the 39-year-old helped India restrict England to 227 for seven in the first one-day international at Hove on Sunday, despite an unbeaten maiden ODI half-century from Alice Davidson-Richards.

India then rollicked to their target in 44.2 overs with seven wickets in hand, thanks to fifties from Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana – the latter falling just nine runs short of a century.

“In practice, we had spoken about trying to be more on the front foot,” Mandhana said. “We learned a few things from England’s mistakes – a few of them got out on the back foot. I am a back-foot player, but I was trying to tell myself to be on the front foot.

“It’s all about the mindset when you go out to bat – I have to keep telling myself not to get carried away.”

Curiously, England chose to omit the two seamers who had been most effective in the T20 leg of the series – Lauren Bell and Freya Davies –and then failed to bring Sophie Ecclestone, their premier bowler, into the attack until the 17th over, when the match was already half-won.

The result hands India first blood in the new ICC Women’s Championship cycle, with the win worth two points in the race towards automatic qualification for the 2025 World Cup.

In a five-over opening spell, Goswami sent down two maidens and spoiled Tammy Beaumont’s first outing for England since she was controversially omitted from their Commonwealth Games squad in July, trapping her lbw for seven with a ball which seamed in and would have gone on to hit leg stump.

“A series win in England would be something which we all would try to give to her as much as we can, because she’s been an amazing, amazing player for us,” Mandhana said.

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