IND W VS ENG W MATCH 20

We are down to match number 20 of the 2025 Women’s World Cup, where India will take on England at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. India’s campaign so far has been a mixed one as they began with two not-so-convincing wins but have since suffered back-to-back defeats. This contest marks the halfway point in a crucial stretch of four big games that will likely determine their qualification for the next round, and they will be eager to collect maximum points from the upcoming fixtures against England and New Zealand. In their previous outing against Australia, even after posting 330, it was not enough to win against the Aussies, and it turned out to be a tough pill to swallow for the hosts. The silver lining, however, was Smriti Mandhana returning to form. Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur are still searching for their rhythm and will need to step up. On the bowling front, India’s struggles continued against Australia, and with only five frontline options, the attack did not look well-equipped. Given how England’s right-handers have struggled against deliveries nipping back in, especially noticeable in their game against Pakistan, India might consider recalling Renuka Singh Thakur to exploit that weakness. Overall, opting for six bowling options could offer better balance, and it remains to be seen whether the Indian think tank will stick to the five-bowler approach or make the tactical shift. On the other hand, England are one of the two unbeaten teams in the competition alongside Australia. Despite their perfect record so far, they will feel that they have not quite played their best cricket yet. Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side has been found wanting with the bat multiple times and will want to improve significantly with crucial games against India, Australia and New Zealand coming up. In their previous outing against Pakistan, they found themselves in deep trouble at 78/7 but managed to come away with a point as the match was eventually abandoned due to rain. Heather Knight and Sciver-Brunt have been among the runs, but England will need the likes of Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont, Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey to step up if they are to make a deep run in the tournament. Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Bell missed the Pakistan game due to illness, and England will be hoping they are fit enough to return. Considering India’s struggles against left-arm spin in this tournament, the presence of Ecclestone, along with Linsey Smith, could prove crucial to their chances in this contest. Sciver-Brunt and her team currently stand with 7 points from 4 games and need just one win from their remaining three fixtures to secure qualification for the next round. Earlier this year, these two sides met in an ODI series in England, which India won 2–1. However, in the lead-up to this tournament, England claimed victory in the warm-up fixture and have also won the last four ODI World Cup meetings between these two nations. Will India break that streak, or will England continue their dominance on the biggest stage? We shall find out.