Mumbai: World champions England had their batswomen to blame as they made heavy weather of a small target and lost to India by 66 runs in the opening ODI at the Wankhede Stadium here on Friday.
In the first fixture of this ICC Women's Championship rubber, Ekta Bisht starred with the ball for the hosts with figures of 4/25.
The visitors lost their final seven wickets for 25 runs to be bowled out for 136.
For England, a 73-run stand between Natalie Sciver and captain Heather Knight was all they could muster as the lower-order could not handle the pressure of a run chase. Sciver was on 44 off 66 when she backed up far too out of the crease at the non-striker's end and Knight's shot rolled back in the direction of Bisht who had all the time in the world to throw down at the bowling end.
Danielle Wyatt fell to Deepti Sharma in the next over and Bisht then ensured that the rest of England's lower middle-order fell in quick succession. Knight remained unbeaten on 39 as she ran out of partners. India jolted England early with pacer Shikha Pandey dismissing Amy Jones and the returning Sarah Taylor with almost identical deliveries that moved back sharply to catch the two batters plumb in front of the stumps.
Deepti Sharma removed Tammy Beaumont as England recovered from 38/3 but it was not enough in the end.