Charlotte Edwards tried to laugh it off. “What collapse?” she quipped to reporters, only half-joking, when England’s top-order stutter was raised. The head coach can afford a smile: three wins from four, unbeaten on the points table, and a meeting on Sunday with an India side hurting after reverses to South Africa and Australia.
“Seriously, in a tournament like this, you have to forget about things quite quickly,” Edwards said in Indore on the eve of the match. England had been 78 for 7 against Pakistan in Colombo, then saved by rain. “We’ve obviously reviewed that last game, but we are not dwelling on that,” she added. “We’re focusing on India and we know from the summer how tough a challenge India are going to be in home conditions.
“It’s exciting to be here tomorrow in front of a massive crowd, who I’m sure will be supporting India. There’s just this real sense of excitement around our group and not thinking too much about what’s happened.”
Swing remains the obvious sore spot. Bangladesh’s Marufa Akter nipped out Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont in Guwahati, almost snaring Heather Knight as well. In Colombo, Pakistan’s Fatima Sana and Diana Baig found similar movement. The numbers back up the trend: quicks are striking every 22.7 balls at England, the worst rate for any side at this World Cup.
Yet Edwards is keeping the lid on any panic. “I am not concerned,” she insisted. “You have days where it doesn’t go particularly well. I’m disappointed, probably, that we didn’t adapt quick enough, but I’m certainly not concerned. You have got to move on quite quickly in tournament cricket. If you look at South Africa in the first game, they were bowled out for 70 [69] and have played brilliantly since.”
The coach’s real optimism comes from her spin unit. Between them, the slow bowlers have taken 24 of England’s 30 wickets. Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone leads the haul with nine at 6.66 apiece, highlighted by 4 for 17 against Sri Lanka. Linsey Smith, another left-armer, has offered handy control at the other end.
“We’re all incredibly proud of Sophie, she obviously had a tough winter and worked through some issues,” Edwards said. “First and foremost, we wanted Sophie to enjoy her cricket again. It’s really evident to see that she’s enjoying cricket again. She’s probably bowling as well as I’ve ever seen her and that spell against Sri Lanka was unbelievable. I know she’s looking forward to playing tomorrow. She’s over her illness [that kept her out of the Pakistan game] and really excited to get out there playing again for England.”
Those words matter because India have surrendered more wickets to left-arm spin than any other side this tournament. Edwards, therefore, is tempted to pair Ecclestone and Smith for extended spells if conditions allow. The surface in Indore traditionally offers grip once the lacquer is off, and the late-afternoon dew should be manageable with the early start.
England’s equation remains simple. A win secures a semi-final spot with a game to spare; defeat throws the table wide open. Edwards knows the batting can’t rely on the weather twice, but she also understands momentum is a fickle friend in tournament play. For now, the message is to trust the processes, lean on the spin, and – if the top order wobbles again – move on quickly.
