Heather Knight: "That's the way we want to approach the game"

England lost two wickets in the first over of a three-match series against India but responded to the early setback with a terrific all-round performance at the Wankhede Stadium

Nick Friend | 06/12/2023 at 18:11

Mumbai: England 197-6, India 159-6 - England win by 38 runs

Heather Knight praised her young England team for a performance against India in the first T20I that matched "the way we want to approach the game".

England, who fielded three teenagers, lost two wickets inside the first over but rather than slipping into their shell produced a superb counterattack through Danni Wyatt (75) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (77), who added 138 in 14.2 overs, setting up a final total of 197 for 6.

With Sophie Ecclestone available again following surgery on a dislocated shoulder, that proved to be ample. Ecclestone claimed figures of 3 for 15 in her four overs, bowling in a game for the first time since The Hundred. She was well supported by Sarah Glenn's leg-spin, with Charlie Dean absent through illness.

"Really good game," said Knight, whose side ultimately won by 38 runs, with only Shafali Verma ever causing England much of a headache in the run-chase. "We continued to attack, picked the right areas, had a good partnership.

"It's the way we want to approach the game. We want to put the pressure back on opposition. I would have bowled first. We were really pleased with the total."

Sciver-Brunt, the player of the match, carried on from a summer during which she made three ODI centuries, whacking 77 against an attack that included Mumbai Indians teammate Saika Ishaque.

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^{England began their tour of India with a comfortable win (ECB via Getty Images)}

"I am really happy," she said at the post-match presentation. "I've been playing cricket in Australia (for Perth Scorchers in the WBBL), so really happy to be back with England and put up a performance like this."

The allrounder, who also clean-bowled Smriti Mandhana, pointed to the contribution of Wyatt, playing her 150th T20I, as key to England's victory – a first in the format since beating Sri Lanka at Hove in a series that they would ultimately lose after successive defeats at Chelmsford and Derby.

"We wanted to be brave and take the attack to opposition. Danni did that pretty well and we were able to build that partnership, she took that pressure off me. What's great about us is we have different strength. We worked together well in a partnership."

"It was nice to be back out there," said Wyatt. "We had a good two weeks in Oman, it was a bit different."