Ananya Lohia , England - India will look for stronger contributions from Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and the middle order when they face England in the deciding third T20I at Taunton on Tuesday. With the series level at 1- all, both teams will aim to build momentum ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup later this month.

India’s batting has looked unsettled across the first two matches. In the opening T20I, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma fell in the first over before Jemimah Rodrigues and Yastika Bhatia rescued the innings with a crucial partnership. In the second match, Harmanpreet Kaur returned to the side, leading to a reshuffle that pushed Yastika to No.3 and Jemimah to No.5, but the move failed to click. India were ahead in the chase at 49/1 after the PowerPlay, but the innings lost momentum as Harmanpreet and Yastika struggled to accelerate during the middle overs. With the required run-rate climbing, India retired out Yastika in search of quick runs. Jemimah was promoted ahead of Richa Ghosh, while Bharti Fulmali remained on the bench despite India’s finishing concerns. England too have struggled with consistency as Amy Jones’ 67 remains the only half-century of the series so far.

With the series on the line and the World Cup approaching, both teams will see the final T20I as an important opportunity to settle combinations and gain confidence before the global event.