Ahmedabad: A disciplined performance by the bowlers led by left-arm spinner Radha Yadav helped India hand New Zealand a 59-run defeat in the first match and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match women’s ODI series at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Thursday.
Asked to bat first by the visitors, the Indian women’s team rode on decent batting efforts by Tejal Hasabnis (42), Deepti Sharma (41) and Yastika Bhatia (37) before being restricted to 227 all out in 44.3 overs. Jemimah Rodrigues (46) and Shafali Verma (33) were other major contributors for India as the Kerr sisters, Amelia (4-41) and Jess (3-49), did the maximum damage for New Zealand.
The Indian bowling attack made early inroads and kept pegging the visitors back, bundling them out for 168 in 40.4 overs to win the match by 59 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series against the recently-crowned ICC T20 World Cup winners. Radha Yadav (3-35) and Saima Thakur (2-26) were the main wicket-takers for India.
Saima Thakur struck the first blow for India in the second over, inducing a dangerous Susie Bates (1) to edge behind with the score reading 7/1. Georgia Plimmer was the next to go, caught by Deepti Sharma of her own bowling and it became 46/3 when skipper Sophie Devine was run out as she was caught with her leg on the line after coming down the track to pat a ball back to Deepti. Devine did not expect that the Indian bowler would throw the ball to keeper Yastika Bhatia and did not bother to move inside the crease. The TV umpire upheld the decision and Devine had to return to the pavilion for two runs.
Brooke Halliday and Lauren Down (25) stitched together a partnership and took the score to 79 before the latter was out. Halliday and Maddy Green (31) kept New Zealand’s hopes alive by taking the score to 128, raising 49 runs for the fifth wicket partnership. But once Halliday was caught and bowled by Saima Thakur for 39, the White Ferms kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Amelia Kerr struck a 23-ball 25 not out but in the end that was too little too late as the While Ferms were all out for 168.
Earlier, India’s batting faltered as they were bowled out for 227 all out with 33 balls remaining at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The Kerr sisters, Amelia and Jess, were exceptional with the ball, combining to take seven wickets.
Eden Carson and Suzie Bates chipped in with two and one wickets respectively, helping the White Ferns restrict India in the series opener.
India’s poor start was marked by the early dismissal of stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana (5). Shafali Verma (33) briefly ignited hopes with an attacking approach, taking on the New Zealand pacers, but her downfall came soon, courtesy of Carson’s spin. Dayalan Hemalatha followed shortly after, further denting India’s hopes of a big total.
Yastika Bhatia, making her return to the side, injected some positivity into India’s innings with a composed (37), but she too was undone by Amelia Kerr. Debutant Tejal Hasabnis and Jemimah Rodrigues then steadied the ship, adding 61 runs for the fifth wicket. Hasabnis impressed in her first outing, crafting a composed (42) before falling to Melie Kerr, while Bates ended Rodrigues’ (35) promising stay.
Deepti Sharma’s resilient knock of 41 from 51 balls held India together for a while, but a lack of support from the other end saw India collapse towards the end.
The New Zealand spinners maintained control throughout the innings, suffocating India’s run flow and striking at regular intervals. Leg-spinner Amelia Kerr (4-42) and medium pacer Jess Kerr (3-49) spearheaded New Zealand’s bowling attack, with solid backing from off-spinner Eden Carson, who chipped in with figures of 2/42.
Brief score:
India 227 in 44.3 overs (Tejal Hasabnis 42, Deepti Sharma 41; Amelia Kerr 4-42, Jess Kerr 3-49) beat New Zealand 168 all out in 40.4 overs (Brooke Halliday 39, Maddy Green 31, Amelia Kerr 25 not out; Radha Yadav 3-35; Saima Thakur 2-26) by 59 runs.
–IANS
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