England Women vs India Women Warm-Up 2026: Match Report and Highlights

While chasing the target, Smriti Mandhana was dismissed for one, and the next four batters contributed 13, 15, 17, and 18 runs respectively. The Indian innings kept losing set batters at regular intervals, but Richa Ghosh steadied the side after coming in at number six and injected life into a contest that had appeared to be one-sided.

Richa played a powerful innings, scoring 68 runs off just 36 balls. Her knock included nine fours and two sixes, and it gave India a real chance to stay in the hunt despite the early setbacks and the frequent loss of wickets. She showed intent from the start, attacking the bowling and keeping the scoreboard moving when wickets were falling around her.

The pressure, however, remained high in the closing stages. Richa eventually fell to a stumping in the final over, ending India’s late push. Her dismissal proved decisive, as the chase could not be completed after she departed.

Linsey Smith was the standout bowler at the end of the innings, finishing the contest with three wickets. She bowled the 20th over and helped close out the match for her side, ensuring that India’s resistance was broken in the final stretch.

The innings was marked by a recurring pattern: batters getting in and then getting out before building on their starts. That made Richa Ghosh’s aggressive counterattack even more important, as she was the only player to fully shift the momentum and create pressure on the opposition.

Although India remained in the chase for a period because of Richa’s batting, the early wickets and lack of support from the middle order left too much work to do in the end. The result reflected both the challenge of the target and the difference made by key moments, especially the dismissals of the set batters and Linsey Smith’s match-finishing spell.

Richa’s innings stood out as the highlight of India’s response, combining clean striking with urgency under pressure. Her 68 off 36 balls added excitement to the contest and briefly raised hopes of a comeback, but the final-over dismissal closed the door on the chase.