INDIA WOMEN TOUR OF ENGLAND, 2025
Tammy Beaumont was ultimately exonerated by the third umpire. ©Getty
If the rivalry between the Indian and English women’s cricket teams were to be depicted in a film or a book, several references to Lord’s would be essential.
Lord’s, known as the Home of Cricket, witnessed India’s painful defeat in the 2017 World Cup final, where they lost by nine runs despite being in a strong position. Fast forward five years, the teams returned to this iconic venue to honor one of cricket’s greats, Jhulan Goswami. This match is notably remembered for the controversy surrounding Deepti Sharma’s run-out of Charlie Dean during the previous encounter. On this occasion, another contentious appeal for ‘obstructing the field’ against Tammy Beaumont was swiftly dismissed.
The incident occurred during the fifth over of England’s innings when Beaumont attempted to play a shot and inadvertently obstructed a throw from Jemimah Rodrigues. Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh and Rodrigues immediately appealed, leading the on-field umpires to review the situation with the third umpire after a lengthy discussion.
The Indian players gathered to discuss the situation, joking about Deepti being involved again in a controversial moment similar to the previous incident. After reviewing the footage, the TV umpire ruled it accidental contact and denied India’s appeal.
After the incident, Deepti paused her delivery stride, a tactic she often employs during games, which led Beaumont to believe it was a warning about backing up too far. Reflecting on the incidents, Smriti Mandhana noted that the group’s conversation had only centered around playing good cricket rather than dwelling on past controversies. Beaumont was eventually dismissed for 34 runs, contributing to England’s victory by eight wickets.
