As England women gear up for the high-stakes white-ball series against India, the new leadership unit, led by head coach Charlotte Edwards, and the energy of rising fast bowler Lauren Bell signal a transformative moment in English cricket.
Former England captain Edwards replaced Jon Lewis as head coach after the winter’s humiliating 16-0 whitewash in the Women’s Ashes in Australia. With new captain Nat Sciver-Brunt at the helm, the team looks strong as they enter the series with momentum on their side, fresh off a clean sweep of their six-match white-ball series against the West Indies.
England women are all set to clash against India, with the first of five T20s against India scheduled for June 28, at Trent Bridge, which will be followed by three ODIs in July.
With the ODI Women’s World Cup on the horizon scheduled for later this year, in India and Sri Lanka, Bell believes Edwards, her former coach at Hampshire, can keep pushing England in the right direction.
“She is exactly how I expected her to be coming in and leading this team. She has really brought some great fundamentals to the team. I guess Charlotte just brings a sense of the winning mentality. She has more of a focus on winning and how you are going to beat the opposition, which obviously is something maybe we lacked in previous series and under the pressure, I guess,” Bell said.
Lauren Bell has been full of praise for 32-year-old all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, who took over the captaincy from Heather Knight in April following Knight’s nine-year tenure. Bell described Sciver-Brunt as a calm and composed leader who has quickly settled into her new role with confidence and clarity.
According to Bell, Sciver-Brunt encourages an open environment where players are empowered to express their individual playing styles and strategies. She noted that the new skipper consistently leads by example, excelling in all three facets of the game. Whether in training or during matches, Sciver-Brunt’s professionalism and dedication continue to inspire those around her.
Expressing her side of interest, Lauren added that she’s quite excited for the challenge of bowling to the opening pair of Smriti Mandhana and the returning Shafali Verma, hoping it would bring out the best in herself and her team.
“I guess I’m looking forward to bowling at Smriti (Mandhana) – I’ve obviously played with her. I know we’ve had a few net battles at the (Southern) Brave before, so I guess that would be a good challenge to play against her, so that’ll be really good. Well, the last time I played India, it’s always been Smriti and Shafali opening the batting.
“So, it’s a challenge we’ve obviously had before, and one that is really exciting. They’re also both very talented and play differently so I’m hoping it just brings the best out of us and it’s one of those challenges, as I said, as an England player, you really look forward to this series and I guess thrive off of the challenge and how good the opposition is,” stated Bell at the pre-match press conference.
Bell also highlighted the impact of the series and its importance for the teams. With both teams eager to win and showcase their best performance, and the ODI World Cup on the horizon, Bell emphasizes on skills needed across the format, a lot of my death bowling skills in T20s come into play in ODI cricket.
Bell also expressed her enthusiasm over the return of Sophie Ecclestone to the squad. Ecclestone, widely regarded as the best in the world at what she does, had taken time away from the game to focus on her well-being and recover from a quad injury.
Bell highlighted Ecclestone’s immense value to the team, not just through her bowling but also her mentorship, particularly among the spinners. While Bell acknowledged that the spin unit performed exceptionally well in the West Indies in Ecclestone’s absence, she emphasized how much her presence adds to the group. For Bell and the rest of the squad, it’s uplifting to see Ecclestone back, fully fit, enjoying her cricket and ready to strengthen England’s bowling arsenal once again.
The series marks its first India tour of England since the controversial run-out at the non-striker’s end by Deepti Sharma on Charlie Dean in 2022. With a five-match T20 series starting today followed by three ODIs and ultimately the 50-over World Cup later this year, England will be judged on how well Edwards’ demands translate under pressure.
Nat Sciver-Brunt, newly appointed captain will also be keen to validate this fresh approach. While India on the other hand will also look to identify players best suited to excel in the conditions, especially in an ODI World Cup year and the next T20 World Cup in England, in 2026.
