Mithali Raj to the fore as India come alive... ENGLAND V INDIA TALKING POINTS

NICK FRIEND AT WORCESTER looks back on the key moments from the third ODI between England and India

Raj the record-breaker

After two slow fifties in losing causes at Bristol and Taunton, this looked like being more of the same from Mithali Raj until the veteran captain rolled back the years for India with her 58th half century in ODI cricket.

Today she made history: when she moved from 11 to 15 with a rare boundary, in doing so she overtook Charlotte Edwards as the all-time leading run-scorer in women’s international cricket.

A remarkable achievement brought up in her 317th appearance for India, 22 years after her international debut in the rather less regal surroundings of Milton Keynes. If a reminder of Raj’s longevity was ever needed, perhaps this was it: a journey that began at 16 with a century against Ireland in her first appearance in 1999 – before Shafali Verma even existed. In hitting the winning runs today – a beautifully threaded cover drive past an offside field that was entirely in the ring – Raj passed the landmark of 2,000 ODI runs against England alone.

It remains the case that her tempo at the crease is too slow for the women’s game in 2021 and that her timid starts have made it more than challenging than necessary for her partners at the other end. But each time you watch Raj at the moment, it is worth remembering that it won’t last forever and that the sun is setting on an extraordinary career.

She isn’t one for frivolous celebrations or excessive bat-waving, and she clinched victory in the only way she knows how, stroking a delivery from Brunt to the boundary before leaving the field in the manner of a graceful legend of the game who, quite frankly, has seen it all before. “I am happy,” she said at the post-match presentation when Mark Butcher confirmed that she had usurped Edwards to the top of the tree. She was understated, unflustered and unconcerned, adding that she is more comfortable in situations like this, chasing down a target rather than setting her own. The game has changed over the last two decades, but perhaps less so for those batting second.

For all the criticism she has taken over the last week, this was quite a riposte: she didn’t particularly change the way she played. Rather, she just played her game to perfection: 75 off 86 balls, a game won with three balls to spare. An icon now out on her own with a record that will be hers for a long time to come.

^{Mithali Raj surpassed Charlotte Edwards' record for the most runs in all women's international cricket}

Winfield-Hill: So close and yet so far

One way or another, Lauren Winfield-Hill is the only specialist batter in England’s top six without a half century this summer.

Back at the top of the order after a considerable absence from her preferred position, she has looked in something approaching prime form throughout India’s visit. In the Test at Bristol, she swivelled to pull Pooja Vastrakar and Shikha Pandey for glorious sixes over the legside and generally looked in total control. The same was true in the first ODI, beginning the innings with a confident punch through the offside before edging behind. And at Taunton on Wednesday, she looked the most confident, complete player on either side until falling once again while well set.

So, to a degree, the nature of her innings – and, indeed, of her dismissal – at Worcester came as no surprise. There were five boundaries in her 36, timing the ball nicely and hitting with plenty of class through the cover region. She was primed, it seemed, for the match-defining contribution that her starts have suggested might not be far away. But she slog-swept Sneh Rana to deep midwicket – the kind of demise that will frustrate her more than most, not least because of what comes next.

PLAYER RATINGS: Mithali Raj stars on record-breaking day

It is likely that Danni Wyatt, left out for the ODI leg of this multiformat series, will return in the format where she has enjoyed the majority of her success: she remains the only England player – male or female – with two T20I centuries, even if she averaged just 11.25 last year.

Where that leaves Winfield-Hill, therefore, is unclear. Given England’s bowling options in their top six with Nat Sciver and Heather Knight, the attacking move perhaps would be to make space for both Wyatt and Winfield-Hill – one at the top and the other in a finishing role at No.7. The pragmatic move, though, might be to entrust Katherine Brunt, Sarah Glenn, Sophie Ecclestone and Anya Shrubsole with the lower-order hitting, while squeezing in an additional bowling option.

Had Winfield-Hill been able to turn one of her starts into something more substantial, an already-difficult decision would be even harder. As it is, it remains to be seen whether Knight and Lisa Keightley have been sufficiently convinced that this is the way to go, with a World Cup coming over the horizon and competition for places as strong as ever.

^{Sophie Ecclestone was named the player of the series}

India come alive

The forecast was grim and the ODI section of this series had already been lost but, with the multiformat series still alive, India were in no mood to lie down in Worcester. Ever since their fielding effort at Taunton, with Harmanpreet Kaur in charge on the field due to Mithali Raj’s sore neck, the tourists have seemed a different proposition.

On that occasion, most notable was the increased energy: huddles at the fall of each wicket finished with an impassioned cry. Here, bowling first after winning the toss, India had the opportunity to set the tone.

In the first over alone, there were diving stops at cover and backward point, and a greater sense of urgency was evident. It was best displayed in Smriti Mandhana’s catch to dismiss Sciver, running round from deep midwicket before diving to her left. They were no doubt buoyed by the expectation of an enthusiastic pocket of the New Road crowd, who made this feel like a home game at times for Mithali Raj’s side.

Deepti Sharma ran out Anya Shrubsole off her own bowling, while Taniya Bhatia was excellent behind the stumps yet again; her best piece of work didn’t even lead to a wicket, almost having Winfield-Hill stumped down way down the legside.

All told, it looked as though India had belatedly arrived as a fielding unit and a competitive force. A fine run chase might just have confirmed that. And with three T20Is to come – the visitors’ strongest suit – an intriguing week awaits, with the multiformat series now sitting at 6-4 rather than 8-2. It is still in England’s favour, but not quite as comprehensively as it might have been.