Women ODI World Cup 2025: India in trouble Vs England

INDORE: The highly anticipated Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 clash between India and England got underway at the Holkar Stadium, with England opting to bat first after winning the toss. At the end of the opening over, England posted 6 without loss, but not without drama.

Renuka Singh Thakur, returning to the Indian XI in place of Jemimah Rodrigues, opened the attack. She immediately created a chance with a sharp delivery that seemed to catch Tammy Beaumont’s edge. However, the excitement was short-lived as Renuka was found to have overstepped, resulting in a no-ball. Beaumont then took advantage of the reprieve, flicking the next delivery for a four through the leg side.

England’s decision to bat was backed by Nat Sciver-Brunt, who hoped the batters could put up a strong total on what she called “fresh conditions.” England has made two key changes, with Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Bell returning to the side, bolstering their bowling unit for the second innings.

India, meanwhile, made one big change. Jemimah Rodrigues was left out as Renuka Singh returned to the XI, bolstering an attack that desperately needs early wickets to regain confidence after back-to-back losses to South Africa and Australia.

Despite being declared a sold-out match, the stands in Indore appeared mostly empty at the toss, with local heat and the promise of a full game likely to draw crowds later in the evening.

PRESSURE MOUNTS ON INDIA

The stakes are high for the Women in Blue, who find themselves in a precarious position in the tournament standings. With two losses already, a third defeat today could leave their semifinal hopes hanging by a thread, relying on complex permutations and results from other fixtures.

India has not beaten a SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) side in a global tournament since their famous win against Australia in the 2020 T20 World Cup opener. England, on the other hand, come into this match unbeaten but have looked far from flawless.

PLAYING XI

India: Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Sree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur

England: Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones (wk), Heather Knight (c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell

AMY JONES JOINS ELITE CLUB WITH 2,500 WODI RUNS MILESTONE

Meanwhile, England batter Amy Jones has etched her name into the record books by surpassing 2,500 runs in Women’s One Day Internationals, reaching the milestone during the 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup clash against India at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.

The 32-year-old wicketkeeper-batter needed just one run in the match to hit the landmark, which she achieved early in her innings. With this feat, Jones becomes only the eighth Englishwoman to cross the 2,500-run mark in WODIs, further cementing her status as a mainstay in England’s middle order. Her consistency and adaptability have been crucial to England’s success on the world stage.