Amy Jones dismantled India's bowling attack with a breathtaking 32-ball half-century on Thursday, anchoring England to a commanding total in the third T20I at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. Her innings, which featured seven fours and two sixes, gave England the early momentum in a match broadcast live to millions of viewers across India and the United Kingdom.
The performance left India needing to chase 195 inside 20 overs — a target that, based on previous totals at this venue, demands a scoring rate above nine runs per over. It is the kind of start England needed after dropping the opening match of the series.
A blistering start from the top
Jones walked in at number three after England lost their first wicket in the fourth over. Within minutes she had shifted the game's energy entirely. Her first 25 runs came off just 18 deliveries, peppered with drives through the covers and pulls square of the wicket that drew applause from the home crowd — a rare sound for a visiting batter.
Speaking to broadcasters after the innings, Jones said the pitch offered something for every shot. "It wasn't a highway, but there was enough consistency to play your shots through the off side," she explained. "I just tried to read the length early and back my hands."
Her strike rate of 156.25 across the innings compares favourably to her career average of 131.28 in T20 internationals. For context, the next fastest fifty in this series came from England's Sophia Dunkley, who needed 41 balls in the opening fixture.
How India found themselves under pressure
India's bowlers struggled to adapt once Jones found her rhythm. Deepti Sharma, who opened the bowling alongside Renuka Singh, conceded 38 runs in her first three overs — the most expensive spell of the match so far. Renuka finished with figures of 2 for 41 from her four overs, but neither bowler managed to build the pressure India needed after losing the toss.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur rotated her bowlers aggressively, trying seven different options inside the powerplay. None managed to stem the flow of boundaries. By the time Jones departed in the 14th over, having been caught behind off S Sajana, England were already 20 runs ahead of the par score.
India's batting reply faces familiar test
The target of 194 places immediate pressure on India's top order. Shafali Verma, who scored a composed 38 in the second match, will likely open alongside Smriti Mandhana. Whether either can match Jones's tempo early could determine whether India stay alive in the series.
India have lost both completed matches in this series. Thursday's match represents their best chance to reset the tone before the final two fixtures shift venues to Pune and then Mumbai.
What this means for communities and fans in India
Cricket tourism around this series has drawn thousands of travelling supporters from England, alongside sell-out domestic crowds in Mohali. Local match-day economies — hotels, transport operators, food vendors near the PCA stadium — depend on this revenue. A series defeat with two games remaining risks dampening advance ticket sales for the remaining fixtures.
For Indian fans who have followed the women's team through a turbulent twelve months, the performances against England represent a measuring stick. The side finished bottom of their group at the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup and has not won a bilateral series against a top-five ranked team since early 2023.
Local cricket clubs across Punjab have been using the series as a drawing point for junior development sessions. Training programmes scheduled for early March are designed to replicate the aggressive batting style Jones displayed — a template that resonates strongly with young Indian cricketers.
England's route to a series win
England hold a 2-0 advantage in the five-match series. A win in Mohali would seal the rubber with three games remaining, allowing the visitors to rest key players and test combinations ahead of the 2025 ICC Women's World Cup. Head coach John Morgan is understood to be weighing whether to persist with the same batting order or introduce additional firepower in the lower middle order.
The England captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt, was absent from Thursday's match due to a minor hamstring concern, further elevating Jones's role as a senior voice in the batting group. Her calm presence under pressure, evidenced again in Mohali, has become one of England's most reliable assets in away conditions.
Two matches left on the road before Mumbai
After Thursday's result, the series moves to Pune's MCA Stadium on March 8, then to Navi Mumbai on March 11, before the finale at Wankhede Stadium on March 14 — a venue famous for its high-scoring surfaces and fervent crowds. India will need to win at least three of the remaining four matches to take the series, a task that appears increasingly steep given Thursday's defensive lapses.
What to watch next: whether India promote a pinch-hitter in the powerplay to counter England's new-ball attack, and whether Jones can maintain this scoring pace on potentially slower surfaces in Pune and Mumbai. Both teams reconvene in 72 hours.
