England vs India: Nat Sciver-Brunt takes positives but how do hosts bounce back from successive T20 losses? | Cricket News

England’s hopes of a home T20 series victory over India are in the balance after back-to-back defeats, with familiar issues apparent during their latest loss in Bristol.

They put the visitors in – having won the toss – and had them 31-3, with star batter Smriti Mandhana out and both openers also dismissed. India then reached the halfway point at barely a run a ball, with neither player at the crease offering the fluency you would typically expect.

Suddenly – within the space of four overs – England had allowed them to accelerate at such speed that they had nearly doubled their midway score and were surging towards a match-winning total.

Attempts to respond seemed to be in vain, with India’s run rate increasing rapidly and their players scoring boundaries with relative ease. At least it would be the same when it was time for England’s chase, right?!

Seven balls in, a running mix-up and a poor shot left both England’s openers gone. Captain Nat Sciver-Brunt was out soon after, too. How does a team falter so quickly after such a positive start? Attempts were made undo the damage, but the damage was sadly done.

Tammy Beaumont impressed, as did Amy Jones. Both played their part in adding some respectability to the end result, along with Sophie Ecclestone’s late boundary burst. But in reality, if you take out the first few overs of India’s innings, England were second best once again.

One positive England can take is that Tuesday’s defeat was not by a record-breaking margin. When they were 17-3, still 165 runs away from their victory target, fears of a bigger loss than the 97-run defeat they managed in Saturday’s series opener were very real.

Instead, it was “just” a 24-run loss. The only margin that really matters, however, is that they now head to the Kia Oval on Friday knowing that another loss would see a series defeat confirmed with two matches to spare.

Positives to take for England?

Sciver-Brunt insisted it was “not the end” for her side going into the rest of the series, instead taking the positives from two losses against a world-class opponent.

There were improvements made – in periods – at the Seat Unique Stadium from the performance seen three days earlier by England, with early wickets, strong bowling spells and individual batting highlights all visible.

“I thought we started off really well in the power play, taking three wickets, which we didn’t in the first game,” Sciver-Brunt told Sky Sports. “Every bowler that came on was really focused on that, which is part of our strategy.

“Then they [India] obviously got a big partnership together, which we probably didn’t adapt to as quickly as we would have liked. Everyone really stuck to the task and tried to grind it out, so the effort was there.”

On the batting display, having seen England’s top order struggle for a second successive game, Sciver-Brunt added: “We have full confidence in our players. We select the batters that we feel are in form, and I guess we’ll see how it goes.

“We needed some partnerships. Tammy [Beaumont] and Amy [Jones] showed us the way with that. We just probably needed another one on top of that. But it’s obviously tricky when you lose a couple of early wickets.

“I guess that it’s not the end [of the series]. We can really fight back and come back with some maybe fresh ideas but also be a little more clinical in the ones that we do want to execute.”

Stick or twist: Time for England changes?

England named the same starting line-up for the first two T20Is, despite the heavy defeat in the series opener, although may consider changes ahead of Friday’s must-win match in London.

“It’s a really hard balance to get right,” former England captain Heather Knight told Sky Sports. “You want to be really honest with how you performed and the areas you can get better, but you also don’t want to go too hard and stifle everyone and make them a bit tense.

“I think it’s really important that they don’t go into their shells. After a couple of losses, it’s really important that spirits remain high and you can’t feel sorry for yourselves.”

India’s 210-4 at Trent Bridge on Saturday was their second-highest total ever recorded in women’s T20Is, with the tourists then exposing England’s bowling limitations again in Bristol by scoring 117 runs from their final 10 overs.

“They [England] might make a few changes [for the third WT20I], I’d imagine,” Knight added. “For me, Charlie Dean would have started the series. I think she’s an exceptional player.

“You either go with two seamers in your attack, so you rest one of the seamers or (drop) Lindsey Smith. She has had a tough couple of games, albeit off the back of a really good series against the West Indies.

“She’s looked vulnerable. She probably hasn’t changed her pace as much as conditions warranted, and she hasn’t been quite as accurate as she was in the West Indies series against these better batters.

“Charlie Dean is one of your best five bowlers, she needs to play. She’s a brilliant matchup against Smriti Mandhana, has really good strike-rate in the power-play – taking wickets – and she’s great in the field.”

Danni Wyatt-Hodge ended a run of three consecutive ducks in women’s T20Is but was dismissed for one, in just her second ball faced, with Knight questioning whether she may make way to also refresh the top order.

“She [Wyatt-Hodge] will certainly be vulnerable,” Knight admitted. “I’d probably assess where Danni is at. Sometimes if a player is going really badly, they need to be taken away from the spotlight and given that break to reset.

“They might look at Tammy Beaumont at the top of the order. She’s done brilliantly – one sort of nice spark in the England innings. Her natural position is opening the batting, so that is an option there.

“Paige Schofield is someone that potentially might come in. She can bat at the top of the order. I think her best position is probably in the middle and she’s had a brilliant 12-18 months in that attacking role. She’s someone that potentially might get a chance.”

It’s the first time in the “new era” of Sciver-Brunt and head coach Charlotte Edwards that England have suffered successive losses, with the manner of the defeats likely to cause concern. A big will response will be expected over the remainder of the series.

What’s next? England vs India schedule

All time UK and Ireland; all live on Sky Sports

T20 international series

First T20, Trent Bridge: India beat England by 97 runsSecond T20, Bristol: India beat England by 24 runsThird T20: Friday July 4 (6.35pm) – The Kia OvalFourth T20: Wednesday July 9 (6.30pm) – Emirates Old TraffordFifth T20: Saturday July 12 (6.35pm) – Edgbaston

One-day international series

First ODI: Wednesday July 16 (1pm) – SouthamptonSecond ODI: Saturday July 19 (11am) – Lord’sThird ODI: Tuesday July 22 (1pm) – Chester-le-Street

Watch England’s third T20I against India live on Sky Sports Cricket from Friday July 4, with live coverage from 6pm ahead of the first ball at 6.30pm at the Kia Oval. Not got Sky? Stream cricket and more with no contract.