The Indian woman team finally played their first match since the world cup T20 loss and the controversy. With only two players making it to this tour since the last time means India went in with a relatively inexperienced side, with the WV Raman debuting as the coach. This tour is the most important one for both India and New Zealand considering the ICC Women championship.
Mithali Raj called it right on the toss and opted to bowl first. Jhulan Goswami who is playing after a long time opened the bowling with Shikha Pandey. The White Ferns had a decent start with Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates getting the starts, adding 61 runs for the first wicket. Lesser did they know that would the only big partnership the team will have. The turn-around started with Deepti Sharma’s excellent throw to get rid of Sophie Devine. Then the Indian spinners entered the scene. Poonam Yadav continued her excellent run from the world cup, dismissed Lauren Down cheaply that left the captain Amy Satterthwaite to the crease earlier than she would have expected. Suzie Bates got out after a few deliveries later to Deepti Sharma who became the second fastest to pick up fifty wickets and score 1000 runs today.
The captain along with the youngster Amelia Kerr added some 30-odd runs to the score, but both the players struggled against the spinners and got out soon. Down the order, Hannah Rowe added a few important runs that took the hosts to 192.
For India, The spinners- Poonam (3), Ekta (3) and Deepti(2) shared eight wickets between them.
Chasing a tricky total, Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana opened the batting for the team and made it look like they were playing on different conditions. They managed to pick boundaries whenever needed, converted singles to doubles and dominated the New Zealand bowling. They added a record partnership of 190 runs for the first wicket. Smriti got to her 4th hundred and got out when India was needing just three runs to win. Jemimah, on the other hand, scored her first fifty and stood unbeaten on 81 as India crossed the victory line with ease to go one up in the series.
Records created today:
1. Deepti Sharma became the second fastest to 50 wickets and 1000 runs in Women ODIs.
2. Smriti Mandana crossed 1000 runs in ICC Women championship, first Indian and 8th overall to do so.
3. Smriti Mandhana now has scored 50 or more in all the countries she played and has scored a hundred in SENA.
Her recent scores: 84, 135, 0,12, 67, 52, 86, 42, 53*, 73*, 14, 51,105 (today)
4. Most hundreds for India in Women cricket
– Mithali Raj – 7
-Smriti Mandhana- 4
5. Jemimah-Smriti (190) has the highest opening partnership against the White Ferns and is the third best for any wicket. Also, India never had a 50+ partnership since 2007.
6. Jemimah scored her first ODI fifty today and she became the fourth youngest to do so.
7. Longest women’s ODI career
Mithali Raj* (19years 212days)
Shillington (19y 195d)
