Bell says India ‘Mankad’ memory ‘put to bed’

GQEBERHA, South Africa: England fast bowler Lauren Bell believes India will provide “great opposition” when the two teams meet in the Women’s T20 World Cup on Saturday but said their last controversial meeting had been “put to bed”.

India won their One-day International series 3-0 in England last summer but sealed the triumph with a ‘Mankad’, when Deepti Sharma ran out Charlie Dean at the non-striker’s end as she backed up too far.

A tearful Dean threw her bat to the ground in disgust as boos rang out from the Lord’s crowd.

It renewed debate on the once-rare form of dismissal which is named after India all-rounder Vinoo Mankad, who ran out Australia’s Bill Brown in such fashion in a 1948 Test.

Bell, however, insisted that the England team had forgotten the incident and were not “practicing” for a repeat.

“England as a team have put that behind us and hopefully India have as well,” she said in Friday’s pre-match press conference.

“I think that’s very much put to bed now. We don’t think about it as a team. So, you know, there’s been no practicing of that.

“It doesn’t get discussed. I think that’s just something that happened in the summer and it’s very much been left there. It’s a fresh World Cup and that’s the focus on Saturday.”

Both sides go into their meeting at St George’s Park in Gqeberha having won their first two group matches.

The winner will all but secure their place in the semi-finals and probably top spot in the group which would likely keep them away from favourites and defending champions Australia in the semi-finals.

“It’s a really big game,” said Bell who took 0-20 in the seven-wicket win over the West Indies and 1-17 in the four wicket-win against Ireland.