All-round performance help England take early lead in T20 series

England's openers Danielle Wyatt, Tammy Beaumont and spinner Linsey Smith helped England to take an early lead in the three-match T20 series as they defeated hosts in the first T20I by 41 runs at the Baraspara Stadium in Guwahati on Monday.

Chasing a score of 161 runs, Indian top order were not able to provide a good start at the top as they lost three quick wickets for 23 runs.

Harleen Deol (8) was dismissed by Katherine Brunt while Smriti Mandhana (2) and Jemimah Rodrigues (2) were dismissed by Linsey Smith.

England kept on taking wickets at regular intervals. Mithali Raj (7) was also not able to post a noteworthy score and the Indian players kept on falling like a pack of cards.

After being reduced to 46 for five, it was just a matter of time for the English team to wrap up the match. Deepti Sharma (and Arundhati Reddy (18) provided resistance in the middle by stitching together a partnership of 30 runs.

India was just able to score 119 for six, in the end, falling short off the target by 41 runs.

Earlier, England opening players Wyatt(35) and Beaumont(62) got the team off to a terrific start as they posted 89 runs on the board in 11.3 overs.

Heather Knight also came in the middle overs to provide the team with some attacking firepower and she played a quickfire knock of 40 runs off just 20 deliveries.

Radha Yadav, picked up the maximum wickets for India as she picked up two wickets. No other bowler was able to slow the pace of the runs and the England batsman were able to take advantage of that.

England have had the better of India in the T20 format and the team again rose to the occasion comfortably defeating India at Guwahati.

India would hope to change their fortunes in the second T20 of the three-match series which will be played at Baraspara Stadium in Guwahati on March 7.

Brief scores: England Women 164/4 (TT Beaumont 62, HC Knight 40, R Yadav 2-33, S Pandey 1-18) defeated India Women 119/6 ( S Pandey 23*, DB Sharma 21*, KH Brunt 2-15, LCN Smith 2-22) by 41 runs.