Women Cricket World Cup: New Zealand invitations India to bat

Imperious lots of by Smriti Mandhana (105) and Pratika Rawal (122) together with Jemimah Rodrigues’ speedy unbeaten 76 fired India to a frightening 340 for 3 in opposition to New Zealand of their rain-affected Women’s World Cup match, right here on Thursday..

India’s development was affected by a rain break which triggered a 90 minutes delay, and the competition was truncated to 49 overs per facet later.

With qualification for semifinals at stake and coming off a three-match dropping streak, India cashed in on a benign monitor to register the best rating of the event led by Mandhana.

Rawal made it rely along with her first World Cup hundred, which was made in a traditional method, whereas forging two huge partnerships — a file 212 runs with Mandhana for the primary wicket and 76 runs with Rodrigues for the second.

Rodrigues, who was dropped from the final match as India favoured a sixth bowler, unleashed a flurry of fours to make the quickest fifty of this World Cup from 39 balls, finally ending with a 55-ball 76 with 11 fours.

Mandhana (109 off 95 balls, 10x4s, 4x6s) seemed to be peaking on the proper time along with her third World Cup ton, first of this version, with a spectacular six over cowl off spinner Eden Carson, giving early indications of her prime kind.

In scorching and humid circumstances, Mandhana and Rawal didn’t take too lengthy to make New Zealand realise that maybe it wasn’t the suitable name to ask India bat first.

While New Zealand started properly with tidy spells, all of it unravelled quickly for the White Ferns who had been despatched on a leather-based hunt.

Mandhana was the aggressor among the many two as her wealthy array of strokes — from delicate late-cuts to highly effective strokes on the on-side — proved why she has been in a unique league amongst Indian batters.

Mandhana’s 14th ODI ton was additionally her fifth on this calendar yr as she additionally moved nearer to breaking Australian nice Meg Lanning’s file for many ODI centuries for any participant (15).

With a resolute Rawal in tow, Mandhana raced to her third consecutive fifty within the 18th over and in addition introduced up their century stand, which was their seventh total in solely 23 innings.

In reality, the partnership of 212 for the primary wicket was not solely the most effective for any wicket throughout the eight groups on this World Cup, but in addition for any wicket for India in World Cup historical past.

Rawal proved her credentials as an ideal foil to Mandhana, displaying commendable resolve to make her maiden World Cup ton and second three-figure knock total.

The right-hander additionally displayed her intent to make it rely with a giant contribution regardless that she had 63 dot balls in her 134-ball 122, which was studded with 13 fours and two sixes. She finally walked again within the forty third over.

Rodrigues definitely offered the lacking spunk at No. 3 as her brisk knock took the flight away from New Zealand who had managed their first breakthrough within the thirty fourth over with the wicket of Mandhana.

Rodrigues was deft in each rotation of strike and selecting boundaries on both facet of the wicket whereas taking a liking for Eden Carson, who was hit for 3 fours within the forty sixth over.

Teams:

India Women: Pratika Rawal, Smriti Mandhana, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh(w), Sneh Rana, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur.

New Zealand Women: Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer, Amelia Kerr, Sophie Devine(c), Brooke Halliday, Maddy Green, Isabella Gaze(w), Jess Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu, Eden Carson.