India women, in a bid to keep the three-match series alive, will look for an improved show, especially in the bowling and fielding departments, when they take on a rampaging England in the second T20I here on Saturday.

England extended their dominant run against India with a comprehensive 38-run win in the opener to the three-match series. It also was England’s 21st victory in 28 T20Is against India and their eighth in 10 matches in the country.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led team failed to read the conditions adequately and also made glaring errors in the one-sided first game.

On a flat pitch not offering much to the bowlers, especially in the first innings, India used four different spinners — including the rookie Kanika Ahuja — and England took them apart, scoring 121 runs from a collective 12 overs for three wickets.

The spinners bowled short as well as full tosses allowing the England batters to dominate. Both Danni Wyatt and Nat Sciver-Brunt were given lifelines which proved to be costly for the hosts as they went on to make big scores.

While Indian tweakers cut a sorry figure, England’s spin pair of Sophie Ecclestone (3/15) and Sarah Glenn (1/25) exposed India’s batters with probing line and lengths.

Match starts: 7pm, live on Sports 18 1 & JioCinema

2 players in top bracket at auction

A total of 165 players will go under the hammer for the second edition of the Women’s Premier League in Mumbai on Saturday.

A maximum of 30 players — including nine foreigners — can be successfully bid for by the five franchises.

As expected, the three who made the knockouts in the inaugural WPL, winners Mumbai Indians (13), runners-up Delhi Capitals (15) and third-placed UP Warriorz (13), have retained most of their core group of players.

The fight will be between Gujarat Giants and RCB who have released most of their players and will be keen to include the best available at the auction.

An additional Rs 1.5 crore has been granted to each of the five teams’ funds this year.

West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin and Ireland’s Kim Garth have been slotted in the top bracket of players — Rs 50 lakh. Most of the franchises will look to plug the loopholes at the auction.

According to a BCCI release, “out of 165 players, 104 are Indians and 61 are overseas players of which 15 players are from associate nations. The total capped players are 56, uncapped players are 109”.

Written with PTI inputs