Edwards ‘Disappointed’ but Not ‘Concerned’ About England’s Batting Ahead of Crucial India Clash

England head coach Charlotte Edwards has downplayed concerns over her team’s inconsistent batting performances at the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup, insisting that while she’s "disappointed," she is not "concerned" as England prepare for a high-stakes encounter against India on Sunday.

Despite an unbeaten run in the tournament so far — three wins from four games, with one rain-affected no-result — England’s batting has been under scrutiny. In their most recent outing, they collapsed to 78 for 7 against Pakistan in Colombo before rain intervened to save them from potential defeat.

“What collapse?” Edwards quipped when asked about the performance. “Seriously, in a tournament like this, you have to forget about things quite quickly,” she said. “We’ve obviously reviewed that last game, but we are not dwelling on that. We're focusing on India and we know from the summer how tough a challenge India are going to be in home conditions.”

Fast bowlers have been particularly effective against England in this tournament, recording a tournament-high strike rate of 22.7. Both Bangladesh’s Marufa Akter and Pakistan’s Fatima Sana exploited England’s vulnerability to swing, troubling top-order batters including Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones.

“I am not concerned,” Edwards reiterated. “You have days where it doesn’t go particularly well. I’m disappointed, probably, that we didn’t adapt quick enough, but you’ve got to move on quite quickly in tournament cricket.”

Citing South Africa’s remarkable turnaround after being bowled out for 69 in their tournament opener, Edwards remains confident England can rebound strongly against India.

Spin Duo Set to Exploit Indian Weakness

While England’s batting has stuttered, their spin attack has been the standout of the campaign, with 24 of their 30 wickets coming from spinners. Leading the charge is left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who has taken nine wickets at an average of just 6.66 — including a match-winning 4 for 17 against Sri Lanka.

Ecclestone missed the Pakistan fixture due to illness but is set to return against India. Her comeback is particularly poignant after a challenging off-season, during which she considered quitting cricket.

“We’re all incredibly proud of Sophie,” Edwards said. “She had a tough winter and worked through some issues. First and foremost, we wanted her to enjoy her cricket again — and it’s really evident that she is. She’s probably bowling as well as I’ve ever seen her.”

With India having struggled significantly against left-arm spin at this World Cup — losing more wickets to that bowling style than any other team — England are looking to capitalise by pairing Ecclestone with fellow left-arm spinner Linsey Smith.

“Left-arm spin has been quite prolific in women’s cricket over the last few years,” Edwards noted. “With this tournament being in India, we knew that picking two left-arm spinners would be really effective. We've got the best in the world in Sophie Ecclestone, and Linsey Smith is a great option too.”

Ecclestone, in particular, has a strong record against key Indian batters, having dismissed Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur a combined seven times in ODIs.

“Any sort of advantage you can get over an opposition, you look into,” Edwards added. “We know there’s a vulnerability there, and we’re glad to have the bowling resources to exploit it.”

All Eyes on Super Sunday

The England vs India clash in Indore is shaping up to be one of the marquee fixtures of the tournament. India, under pressure after back-to-back defeats to South Africa and Australia, will be desperate to bounce back in front of a passionate home crowd.

“There’s just this real sense of excitement around our group,” Edwards said. “It’s exciting to be here tomorrow in front of a massive crowd. We’re not thinking too much about what’s happened — we’re ready for the challenge.”