Despite England's consecutive T20 defeats against India, Nat Sciver-Brunt remains optimistic about her team's chances in the ongoing series. Following a 24-run loss in Bristol, after a 97-run defeat in the series opener, Sciver-Brunt stressed that it is "not the end" for England.
In the second T20 match, India posted a total of 181 for four, propelled by half-centuries from Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur, who had a 93-run partnership. England's response stumbled early, with Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, and Sciver-Brunt falling within the first four overs. Tammy Beaumont led a rebuild with 54, but England ultimately fell short, finishing at 157 for 7.
Sciver-Brunt acknowledged the need for fresh ideas and more clinical execution. At the post-match presentation, she said the team needs to "fight back and come back with some fresh ideas, but also be a bit more clinical in the ones we do want to execute. Try and take some confidence from this game". She believes the team needs to form partnerships, like the 70-run partnership between Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones, to regain their footing in the game.
Reflecting on the match, Sciver-Brunt said England started well in the powerplay, taking three early wickets. However, she noted that the team didn't adapt quickly enough to the Rodrigues-Kaur partnership. She did highlight Lauren Bell's bowling performance as a positive and said the team stuck to their task and tried to grind, showing good effort.
India Women defeated England by 24 runs in the second T20I of their five-match series. India now leads the five-match series 2-0. Smriti Mandhana became the first Indian woman to score centuries in all three formats in the first T20I. She also recorded the highest score by an Indian woman in T20Is.
The third T20 will take place on Friday at the Oval, where England will need a win to stay in the series. The series is running alongside the men's series between England and India.