England Women secured a narrow five-run victory against India in the third T20I at the Oval on Friday, keeping the five-match series alive. Despite a concerning dropped catch in the final over, England managed to defend their total of 171/9, restricting India to 166/5. India still leads the series 2-1.

England's innings was built on a strong opening partnership between Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who put on a century stand. Dunkley top-scored with 75, while Wyatt-Hodge contributed 66. However, after their dismissals, the innings faltered, with England losing wickets rapidly. Arundhati Reddy and Deepti Sharma led the Indian bowling attack, taking crucial wickets to restrict England's total. Reddy dismissed Alice Capsey, Wyatt-Hodge and Amy Jones, while Sharma accounted for Beaumont. Radha Yadav also reached a milestone, claiming her 100th wicket in women's T20Is by dismissing England captain Tammy Beaumont.

In response, India's chase began strongly with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma forming an 85-run opening partnership. Verma fell short of her half-century, scoring 47, while Mandhana made 56. However, Lauren Filer struck back for England, dismissing both Jemimah Rodrigues and Mandhana in quick succession, putting India under pressure.

The game went down to the wire, with India needing 12 runs off the final over. Lauren Bell was tasked with defending the total, and despite Paige Scholfield dropping a catch, she held her nerve. Bell conceded just six runs and dismissed Harmanpreet Kaur on the final delivery, securing a thrilling victory for England.

The dropped catch off Amanjot Kaur was a significant moment, highlighting the pressure of the situation. However, England's bowlers, particularly Bell, managed to recover and close out the game. Issy Wong's penultimate over, where she dismissed Richa Ghosh while conceding just eight runs, also proved crucial.

England made three changes to their side for this match, with Tammy Beaumont captaining the team in place of the injured Nat Sciver-Brunt. Paige Schofield, Issy Wong, and Charlie Dean were also included in the line-up. India, on the other hand, remained unchanged from their previous match.

Despite the defeat, India still holds a 2-1 lead in the series. The next match is scheduled for Wednesday at Old Trafford. India will be aiming to bounce back and secure the series victory, while England will look to build on this win and level the series.