Nat Sciver-Brunt insisted England are “not at panic stations” despite succumbing to their heaviest T20 defeat by runs after being put to the sword by India stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana.
England started the summer by clean sweeping the West Indies in T20s and ODIs but Sciver-Brunt and head coach Charlotte Edwards got their first reality check following India’s 97-run victory at Trent Bridge.
Some sloppy mistakes in the field and a largely toothless bowling display allowed India to rack up 210 for five, powered by Mandhana’s majestic 112 off 62 balls, before England were rolled for 113.
The hosts lost eight of their 10 wickets to spin, with debutant Shree Charani claiming four for 12, to go 1-0 down in the five-match series but Sciver-Brunt was typically phlegmatic in her assessment.
“I won’t change too much about how I go about things,” she said after suffering her first loss as permanent England captain. “My personality is pretty steady, not too many ups and downs.
“That’s the way I go about it and I’ll make sure the girls know we’re not at panic stations, so they’ve still got that confidence and belief that they can go out there and do it.
“I think everyone will self-reflect on how they did and whether they were in the right mindset with the bat or whether the plan was right with the ball and it was just the execution (was not right).
“It would be unrealistic to think we’ll win every game but we’ll pick ourselves back up, review really well and go again in Bristol (in Tuesday’s second T20).”
England lost 40 wickets to spin during last winter’s 16-0 Ashes whitewash defeat and, after conceding their second highest T20 total, only Sciver-Brunt showed any resistance against India’s turners.
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Sciver-Brunt registered 66 off 42 balls, while Em Arlott was the next highest scorer with just 12, at the outset of India’s tour where the teams will play four more T20s before a three-match one-day international series.
“A lot of our girls have done some great work against spin, especially during the middle (overs),” Sciver-Brunt said. “I expect us to be showing what skills we’ve learnt.
“We’ve got eight matches against them so you can plot your way around it and work out plans. It makes it more exciting and the challenge more fun for me to work out how you’re going to do that.”
Sophie Ecclestone leaked 43 runs in three overs on her return to action, having missed the Windies series with a knee injury then taken time out of domestic cricket to “prioritise her wellbeing”.
Her first and fourth balls were both slog-swept into a strong wind for six by Mandhana, captaining India in place of the injured Harmanpreet Kaur, as she conceded 19 in her first over.
Ecclestone gained a measure of revenge when Mandhana miscued the slow left-armer, lofting her straight up in the air to a backtracking Sciver-Brunt in the ring, but the damage had already been done.
“I said ‘welcome back’,” Sciver-Brunt added. “She’s been away but she’s really glad to back and we’re glad to have her.
“When someone goes for 19 in their first over, you don’t write them off, especially if the name is Sophie Ecclestone.”
