Sophia Dunkley's brilliant 75 off 52 balls powered England to a crucial five-run victory over India in the third T20I at The Oval on Friday. This win keeps England alive in the five-match series, reducing India's lead to 2-1.

England's stand-in captain, Tammy Beaumont, won the toss and chose to bat, a decision that proved fruitful thanks to a record-breaking 137-run opening partnership between Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge. Wyatt-Hodge contributed a valuable 66 off 42 balls. Dunkley's innings included seven fours and one six. She reached her half-century in just 35 balls, showcasing her aggressive intent.

However, after Dunkley's dismissal in the 16th over, England experienced a dramatic collapse, losing nine wickets for a mere 31 runs in the final five overs to finish at 171/9. Deepti Sharma and Arundhati Reddy were instrumental in triggering the collapse, taking three wickets each. Sharma ended with figures of 3/27, while Reddy claimed 3/32.

Despite the late-innings stumble, England's bowlers stepped up to defend the total. India's chase began strongly, with Smriti Mandhana (56) and Shafali Verma (47) putting on an 85-run partnership. However, Lauren Filer's energetic spell of 2/30 turned the tide, dismissing both set batters. England's fielding and death bowling tightened in the final overs, securing the win. Lauren Bell bowled a nerveless final over, conceding just six runs and taking the crucial wicket of Harmanpreet Kaur on the last ball.

Sophia Dunkley hailed England's fighting spirit after the win. She acknowledged that the team wasn't at their best in all three departments but praised their resilience in securing the victory. Dunkley also mentioned that England felt they had left 15-20 runs out on the field.

India's captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, felt that her team had the game in their grasp until the 16th over and failed to utilize the advantage. She also acknowledged the dew factor and praised her bowlers' performance. Despite the loss, India still leads the series 2-1. India were eyeing their maiden T20I series win over England, but Dunkley and Wyatt-Hodge had other plans.

The remaining two T20Is will be played at Old Trafford and Edgbaston. England will be without Nat Sciver-Brunt for the rest of the series.