England Women v India Women 1st ODI Prediction: Who will win today's ENG-W v IND-W match?
After a heroic performance in their return to the Test format, India Women will take on England Women in a three-match ODI series that begins at Bristol on Sunday, June 27.
India Women last played in the ODI format against South Africa in March. The series ended in bitter disappointment as they conceded the series 4-1, with the batting and the bowling coming a cropper in different games. The inability to string together comprehensive all-round performances will upset the Indians, especially with the 2022 ODI World Cup firmly on the horizon.
England Women, on the other hand, faced off against New Zealand in February earlier this year in a three-match ODI series. They put in superb bowling displays in the first two ODIs to clinch the series, before suffering a one-sided defeat in the dead rubber.
While India Women might be the slight underdogs heading into this game, anything can happen in what is expected to be a hotly-contested series.
England Women vs India Women 1st ODI: Who will triumph in Bristol?
India Women have several key players to rely on in the upcoming series against England Women.
In the batting department, young Shafali Verma will make her ODI debut, mere days after impressing all with her technique and attacking game in her maiden Test outing. Smriti Mandhana, who had only one innings of note in the South Africa series, should partner her at the top of the order.
This could mean that Priya Punia and Jemimah Rodrigues, both of whom didn't cover themselves in glory against the Proteas, could drop down to the bench. Punam Raut, Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur, who were the batting unit's best performers, should make up what looks like a solid middle order.
The ever-consistent Jhulan Goswami, who led the bowling attack with eight wickets from four ODIs against South Africa, will be India's go-to woman with the ball. She had support from Rajeshwari Gayakwad during the previous series, but the others will need to step up and help the experienced bowlers keep England Women's deep batting lineup in check.
England Women's solid first-choice playing XI was on display during the one-off Test, and they should retain many of the same players during the ODI series as well.
Opener Tammy Beaumont racked up 231 runs in three matches against New Zealand earlier this year, and is the team's talisman with the bat at the top of the order. Lauren Winfield-Hill hasn't been a white-ball regular, but consistent performances in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and a fairly assured innings in the Test could help her clinch the other opening spot.
Captain Heather Knight, vice-captain Nat Sciver and wicket-keeper Amy Jones form the backbone of the England Women batting lineup, with the former two being handy options with the ball as well.
Kate Cross, Natasha Farrant, Sarah Glenn and Freya Davies all bowled well against New Zealand, but not all of them will get the opportunity to partner names like Katherine Brunt, Anya Shrubsole and Sophie Ecclestone. It will be interesting to see how India Women counter the left-arm spinner, who bagged eight wickets in the Test despite being nowhere near her consistent best.
The track in Bristol, which came under severe criticism during the Test, will have had some time to recover. It is expected to be slightly more friendly to the batters, especially against the hard new ball. Otherwise, the spinners could come into play.
On paper, England Women have the edge, mainly because of the all-rounders in their side. India Women are on the back of a demoralizing loss to South Africa in the ODI format and will be far from confident.
Verma's debut will certainly boost the visitors, but can they string together the complete performance that has eluded them over the last few months in the ODI format? It looks unlikely, because they will have to be almost perfect against arguably the best white-ball team in the world.
India Women showed what they're made of during the Test, displaying great fighting spirit and resolve to rescue what seemed like a lost game. While they cannot be counted out at any cost, they might find themselves slightly out of their depth in the 1st ODI against England Women.
Prediction: England Women to win the 1st ODI against India Women