England Hold Nerve in Final-Over Thriller as Mandhana’s Brilliance Goes in Vain

England walked a tightrope in Indore and lived to tell the story. India came for a statement win, but in a game that tested nerve more than skill, England held their shape in the final minutes and walked away with a 4-run victory to book their semifinal spot at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025.

India fell short in a chase they controlled for more than 30 overs. That will haunt them. England chose to bat on a dry surface with grip for spin and predictable bounce. Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont gave them a clean start. No risks, no hurry, only cricket with sense. Their 73-run stand looked routine. England had control. Then Deepti Sharma cracked the game open.

She bowled with plan, not hope. She beat Beaumont and then trapped Jones with drift and dip. Two blows. One message: India came prepared.

But England captain Heather Knight arrived with a different game inside her. Calm head. Tight base. Clean responses. She played late. She picked her areas. She scored without panic. Knight does not play showy innings. She squeezes teams with discipline. She dragged England forward with a hundred defined by judgment, not power. Her 109 from 91 balls carried England through the middle overs.

With Nat Sciver-Brunt beside her, England built a 3rd-wicket stand worth 113 runs. That partnership turned into a problem for India. For a while, England owned the innings. Then India came again.

Knight’s run-out in the 45th over flipped momentum. After that moment, England lost shape. Sciver-Brunt miscued. Dunkley rushed a stroke. Capsey chased width. Panic spread. India crushed England’s finish. From 249/3 to 288/8 in 30 balls, England folded. Deepti led the charge again, finishing with 4/51. Spinner Shree Charani backed her with two wickets. England walked off 20 runs short of what they wanted.

India began their chase in confusion. Pratika Rawal walked back early. Harleen Deol followed. Poor judgment. Wrong shot selection. England sensed blood. India needed someone to stop the collapse.

Smriti Mandhana did more than that. She rewrote the mood of the chase. She hit through extra-cover with comfort. She took singles with soft hands. Her strokeplay had clarity and intent. Harmanpreet Kaur joined her and brought leadership to the chase. Their 125-run partnership gave India timing, balance, and belief.

But cricket loves sudden game change. Harmanpreet chased a wide ball. Edge. Gone. Mandhana stayed. She kept the match alive. But the chase bent without Harmanpreet’s spine. Mandhana fell 12 short of a century. After that, India went quiet. The lower order froze under pressure. No strike rotation. No boundary plan. No grip.

England sensed the moment. Sophie Ecclestone owned it. She controlled the death overs. Linsey Smith backed her. England squeezed India. 4 runs became a world. In the end, India walked off with regret. England walked off with relief.

Matches do not always reward the better team. They reward the team that holds the nerve. Tonight, that team wore blue, but not India’s blue.