India Women 169 (Deepti 68*, Mandhana 50, Cross 4-26) beat England Women 153 (Dean 47, Renuka 4-29, Goswami 2-30) by 16 runs
Sport isn't built for fond farewells. But the sequence of events in Jhulan Goswami's final international were as close to perfect as can be. An inspired bowling show from India, led by a four-wicket haul from the woman who now takes over as attack leader, Renuka Singh, saw them skittle England out for 153 in the third women's ODI to eke out a 16-run win. The final moments were heart-wrenching really, and it peaked to unreal levels in the 44th over, when running in to bowl the fourth ball, Deepti Sharma noticed Charlie Dean backing up too far at the non-strikers' end and ran her out to claim the final wicket.
This led to tears on both sides - the Indians over the end of Goswami's exemplary two-decade career and Dean at the thought of taking her side so close only to be undone in this way. England's No. 9 had kept the chase alive - which was no mean feat considering they were 65 for 7 and later 118 for 9 - with a remarkable 47 off 80 balls.
The result helped India inflict a whitewash on England in an ODI series for the first time since 2001-02, which is when Goswami made her debut.
Both the teams were playing at Lord's for the first time since the final of the 2017 Women's ODI World Cup and Kate Cross, playing an international for the first time at the venue, picked up four wickets in a stunning effort to help England bowl India out for 169. Smriti Mandhana and Deepti's fifties gave a semblance of respectability to the score after India were 29 for 4 inside the first hour. But Renuka's three-wicket burst with the new ball jolted England.
Openers Emma Lamb and Tammy Beaumont, playing in her 100th ODI, managed to keep the Indian bowlers at bay for close to eight overs. Lamb hit a couple of fours each off Goswami and Renuka but the start was stifling, thanks partly to the attacking fields set by Harmanpreet Kaur.
India got an opening when Renuka, who used the bowling crease well, combined with the brilliance of Yastika Bhatia's glovework to get Lamb stumped. In the next over, she went wide and angled a length ball on off, beating Beaumont, who was rooted to the crease, to bowl her. Renuka's third wicket was a ripper - a wobble-seam, full delivery jagging through Sophia Dunkley's bat-pad gap to uproot the stumps. In the interim, Goswami, who was running in and hitting the channel outside off, managed to get Alice Capsey to slap one straight to point.
With England four down in 12 overs, Harmanpreet turned to Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who was greeted with two fours in two balls by Danni Wyatt. But the experienced left-arm spinner extracted revenge by tossing one up in line of the stumps and spinning it past Wyatt's forward prod to bowl her. When Ecclestone was caught at slip - Goswami taking a low one off Gayakwad - the writing was truly on the wall as England were 53 for 6.
Deepti then managed to get Freya Kemp caught to complicate the hosts' troubles. But captain Amy Jones found an able support in Dean, who has opened the batting in the past for Southern Vipers in the domestic one-dayers. The progress from England was at best steady but the pair had managed to arrest the fall of wickets. Jones and Dean were happy to play the waiting game as evidenced by their partnership of 38 runs from 76 balls.
However, Jones could not resist pulling a short ball from Renuka in her penultimate over and found Harleen Deol diving forward in the deep in front of square on the leg side for a well-judged catch. Six overs later, Goswami castled Cross with England 52 adrift.
The last three wickets for England added 88 together to almost do the impossible, only for it to be stalled by Deepti's wily act
Earlier, England opted to bowl first on a bright, cloudy day and Cross - for the third time in the series - dismissed Shafali Verma cheaply to provide an early breakthrough. It was the second successive time that Cross' nip-backer bowled Shafali through the gate.
Soon after, Cross swung one in late to bowl Bhatia too as the batter missed an attempted straight drive. She dropped a return catch from Harmanpreet when the India captain was on 4 before beating her inside edge with an inducker. That missed chance did not cost England much as Cross trapped Harmanpreet lbw in her next over.
Freya Davies, who India were relatively happy to face at that point, then sent back Deol via an overturned lbw decision. Four down inside the first powerplay, India were in danger of folding up pretty early in the face of some disciplined new-ball seam bowling.
But Smriti Mandhana found an able ally in Deepti, and the duo kept the hosts at bay for close to 15 overs. Mandhana picked up a four in each of Kemp's first two overs before Deepti managed to get one apiece off Ecclestone and Dean. Mandhana also completed her second half-century of the series, following her 91 from the first ODI.
However, Cross struck in her second over on return, Mandhana toe-ending an innocuous short ball down leg onto her stumps to end the 58-run stand and put England back in control. A few quiet overs followed and it culminated in D Hemalatha's wicket for 2 off 17 balls.
Deepti managed to keep the scoreboard moving by finding boundaries regularly. After taking her time to get in, Pooja Vastrakar too opened up, smashing Dean and Davies for two fours each. Soon, Deepti got to her 12th half-century in the format. But Dean trapped Vastrakar lbw to end her 40-run recovery partnership with Deepti.
Goswami, who was given a guard of honour as she walked out to bat, could last only one ball. Renuka's swipe across the line then found a top edge and cover. Deepti managed to farm the strike and take India past 150 but Ecclestone fired one in to trap Gayakwad in front to raise hopes of a consolation win.
But even before the series began, India were firm on giving Goswami a fitting end and they rallied one final time on this tour to deny England. They managed to defend 169, which is the lowest total successfully defended in a women's ODI at Lord's.
