Tammy Beaumont’s 54 was the highest score for England in their defeat at Bristol on Tuesday.
In the wake of a 2-0 series deficit, stand-in captain Tammy Beaumont has urged England to “come out fighting” in the third T20 against India at The Oval on Friday. The hosts are aiming to avoid an early series defeat.
Beaumont, recalled to the T20 side by coach Charlotte Edwards after previously falling out of favor under Jon Lewis, assumes the captaincy due to Nat Sciver-Brunt’s groin injury.
Sciver-Brunt was sidelined during Tuesday’s second T20, where England fell to a 2-0 deficit in the five-match series. She will undergo a scan to determine her availability for the remainder of the series.
“Being 2-0 down, especially with our captain and best batter out of the team, isn’t ideal,” stated Beaumont, 34.
“However, the worst thing we can do is panic. We firmly believe we can come back and win, and we will come out fighting.”
England is already missing another key batter, former skipper Heather Knight, who is sidelined for the entire summer with a hamstring injury.
Maia Bouchier, who was dropped after the Ashes defeat earlier this year, has been called up to bolster a batting line-up facing considerable pressure to perform.
Bouchier has demonstrated strong form for Hampshire this season, ranking as the seventh-highest run-scorer in the Women’s T20 Blast with 242 runs.
Sciver-Brunt’s 66 stood out in England’s 113 all out during the first T20 at Trent Bridge, while Beaumont led the scoring with 54 at Bristol.
Specialist batters Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophia Dunkley, and Alice Capsey have collectively contributed just 19 runs across the two matches thus far.
‘England face questions after bump back down to earth’
Dunkley, who served as vice-captain when Sciver-Brunt left the field at Bristol, will retain that role on Friday. Beaumont emphasized her belief in Dunkley as a future leader, but noted the current situation demanded a bit more experience.
England faces a significant challenge in reversing the series’ trajectory, as India has displayed dominant form ahead of the 50-over World Cup, which they will host this autumn.
However, Beaumont, who has captained Welsh Fire in The Hundred, believes this challenge will benefit England. She highlighted that much of the narrative surrounding their Ashes defeat and poor World Cup record has focused on the perceived lack of pressure they face in international cricket outside of those events.
“We’ve been talking about wanting more challenges for a long time. We’re well aware that our results in world tournaments or major series like the Ashes haven’t met our expectations for several years,” Beaumont said.
“That won’t improve until we are pushed more in bilateral series, learning from that pressure and improving each time. It’s happened quite early on and it may have come as a bit of a shock.
“While Nat and Charlotte haven’t been in their roles for long, we want to address these issues head-on, not shy away from them, and hopefully build some momentum to turn that record around.”
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