admin Dec 23 2024 Cricket

IND Women won by 211 runs.

Renuka, Mandhana consign West Indies to record loss.
The hosts dominated from start to finish despite not batting to full potential, winning by 211 runs.

India 314 for 9 (Mandhana 91, Harleen 44, James 5-45) beat West Indies 103 (Fletcher 24, Renuka 5-29) by 211 runs

After a T20I series that went to the decider, the first of three ODIs between India and West Indies was a thoroughly one-sided fare. The hosts dominated from start to finish despite not batting to full potential, while still scoring an imposing 314 for 9, and then hardly flexed their bowling muscle to run past a West Indies line-up that folded like nine pins.


The architects of the win were Smriti Mandhana, who top scored with 91, and Renuka Singh, who had an unchanged opening spell of 8-1-19-4 en route a maiden ODI five-for. Two of those strikes happened to be of Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin inside the first five overs of the chase. The game was decided right there.

India will look back at their batting performance with mixed emotions despite the massive victory margin. For the first half of their innings, they appeared to be stuck in second gear, with that safety-first approach that has troubled them in ODIs lately yet again taking precedence despite Mandhana looking in sparkling form, like she has in the format all through the year.

The caution at the start was largely down to a nervous debutant - Pratika Rawal - auditioning to be Mandhana's batting partner at the top of the order after a number of experiments earlier in the month in Australia - most notably Richa Ghosh opening - fell flat.
Rawal made 40 in a 110-run opening stand but was aided by plenty of luck along the way. On 1, she gloved a tickle to the wicketkeeper, but West Indies didn't review. On 3, Afy Fletcher dropped a sitter at mid-off as she attempted her first aggressive shot. In between the two, she survived a tight run-out opportunity. To Rawal's credit, she overcame all of these to slowly build her innings, before falling to an unreal return catch to Mathews, as she threw herself full-stretch to pluck a one-handed stunner.

Mandhana brought up her half-century off 62 balls, her 28th in ODIs, and shifted gears to sweep and drive imperiously, but Harleen Deol's struggles forced her into attempting cheeky strokes, one of which had her lbw. Harleen's cautious approach at No. 3 despite a solid start made you wonder if India miscalculated by not promoting Jemimah Rodrigues or Harmanpreet Kaur.

This became evident almost immediately when Harmanpreet changed the tempo of the innings upon arrival, dashing to 32 off 20 through her trademark sweeps and ferocious lofted hits, before a mix-up with Richa Ghosh, while attempting a run to short third, cut short her innings.
Ghosh and Rodrigues played fine cameos that helped provide India the finishing kick, while also allowing them to paper over the muddle in the middle overs, with the last 20 overs bringing 160. Ghosh showed off her full range of power, timing and fineness - all in one, as she made a 13-ball 26, while Rodrigues, now seen as a finisher, made 31 off 19.

India could've scored a lot more if not for a series of rash shots towards the end that brought Zaida James, the young left-arm spinner, a maiden five-for ODIs. That, as it turned out was one of the few positives for West Indies on a forgettable night as they had no answers to Renuka's devious in-duckers that kept missing.

The effect of Renuka's spell has a mesmeric effect on the others too. Titas Sadhu picked up her first ODI wicket and young legspinner Priya Mishra delivered 4.2 crafty overs for two wickets. All told, the look of horror on Shemaine Campbelle's face when she nailed a lofted hit only for an acrobatic Harmanpreet to intercept the ball at mid-on by leaping high and pulling off a one-handed grab summed up the evening for the West Indies.

It was no less than a horror show with the bat, which they'd hope to improve on as they build towards a 50-over World Cup on these very shores in 10 months.show more...

admin Dec 20 2024 Cricket

IND Women won by 60 runs.

Mandhana, Ghosh star as India seal series in style.
India posted 217 for 3, their highest-ever T20I total, in their first bilateral T20I series win at home since 2019.

India 217 for 4 (Mandhana 77, Ghosh 54) beat West Indies 155 for 9 (Henry 43, Dottin 25, Radha 4-29) by 60 runs

A high-scoring entertainer that had more than 47,000 fans in anticipation of a thriller fizzled when West Indies' middle order imploded to give India the T20I series 2-1. The orchestrators of the win were Smriti Mandhana, who hit her third straight half-century, and Richa Ghosh, who exhibited incredible ball-striking to smash the joint-fastest T20I half-century.


India's 217 for 3, their highest-ever T20I total, came from a vastly different approach from two nights ago, where 160 seemed pedestrian on the face of dew. When West Indies fought back to propel themselves to 123 for 4 on Thursday, needing 95 off 36, they had an outside chance. But Chinelle Henry's dismissal for a 16-ball 43 led to a meltdown they couldn't recover from, with left-arm spinner Radha Yadav walking away with four wickets.

This was India's first bilateral T20I series win at home since 2019.

Mandhana tees off

Mandhana unfurled a stunning cocktail of classical strokes and brute force in the power play. She hit seven straight boundaries at one stage, three off Henry and three off Deandra Dottin as India counterpunched after losing Uma Chetry in the first over.

Mandhana created boundary-scoring opportunities by messing with the bowler's lengths. She didn't allow Henry too many opportunities to swing the new ball by getting to the pitch of it and lofting imperiously through the line. The consequence of that was Henry dropping short, which was met with a ferocious Mandhana cut.

It was one of those evenings where every single bowler erred in their lengths or in their planning against Mandhana. When they bowled short, she stayed leg side of the ball to open up the arc between cover and point. When they dragged down, she was quick to help them over, and when they erred on the fuller side, Mandhana cleared her front leg and swung cleanly.

This helped Mandhana raise her third straight half-century, off just 27 balls, to set the base. From 61 for 1 at the end of the powerplay, India waltzed their way to 99 for 1 at the 10-over mark.

Rodrigues builds

Amid the carnage from Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues was by no means a second fiddle. Having survived a close lbw shout on 6 in the sixth over while looking to nudge across the line, Rodrigues went on the offensive by picking Karishma Ramharack, the mystery spinner, for three boundaries in the sixth over.

Rodrigues was her usual busy self, bringing out her trademark sweeps and chips against spinners during the course of a 98-run second-wicket stand with Mandhana before falling in the 11th. Attempting to sweep a full delivery, Rodrigues was trapped lbw for a 28-ball 39.
Bist makes an impression, Richa finishes

With the platform set, India could've sent in Richa Ghosh at No. 4 but they chose to persist with Raghvi Bist, playing in just her 2nd T20I. On her part, Raghvi made up for her inexperience with excellent game awareness, farming strike and allowing Mandhana first until she fell for 77, and Ghosh later to take centre stage. She did this while also tantalising with some sweetly-timed strokes occasionally, hitting two fours and a six in her unbeaten 22-ball 31.

On a night when it didn't seem like a batter could outmuscle Mandhana, Ghosh arrived and immediately carted a six first ball followed by a back-cut so late that she nearly played it off the keeper's gloves to bisect backward point and short third. Any relief West Indies may have had having dismissed Mandhana dissipated in a jiffy.

That should've been the extent of Ghosh's damage, but for West Indies reprieving her in the 16th when Aaliyah Alleyne and Chinelle Henry nearly ran into each other near the wide long-on fence. Neither called for the ball that landed right between them.

On 154 for 3 in 16th over at that point, India blasted 63 more with Ghosh alone accounting for 44 of those. By the time she was out trying to clear long-off, Ghosh had hit three fours and five sixes in her 17-ball half-century, the joint-fastest in T20Is alongside Sophie Devine and Phoebe Litchfield. There was no area in the arc between point and square leg that Ghosh didn't pepper in front of the wicket.

In playing a blinder of the kind she exhibited on Thursday night, Ghosh proved why she's better off playing a finisher across in white-ball cricket, and not as an opener in ODIs, like she did in two of the three ODIs in Australia where lower-order firepower seemed non-existent.
Henry sizzles but West Indies fizzle

West Indies came out swinging, and India offered them two chances almost immediately. Mandhana's reprieve off Qiana Joseph, running to her left to grab a skier at mid-off, cost them just 10 as she was out top-edging a slog to short fine in the fourth over to S Sajana.

Renuka Singh's chance to Dottin at fine leg when she top-edged a sharp Saima Thakor short ball threatened to prove costlier. But she managed just 25, in which she exhibited traits that has made her a feared batter the world over. Dottin's dismissal hot on the heels of Mathews left West Indies at 69 for 3 in the ninth over.

With the asking rate spiralling with every passing over, Henry, who had a T20I highest of 34 prior to this game, got stuck into Deepti Sharma, slamming her for two fours and a six in the 14th as she raced to 43 off 15 before getting a thick edge off a slog to Bist at short third. That was the last flicker of hope for the West Indies gone right there, and with it the possibility of a series win.show more...

admin Dec 18 2024 Cricket

WI Women won by 9 wickets (with 26 balls remaining).

Dottin, Matthews make easy work of India in series-levelling win.
Captain Matthews leads chase with an unbeaten 47-ball 85 after Dottin's excellence with the ball and on the field restricts India.

West Indies 160 for 1 (Matthews 85*, Joseph 38) beat India 159 for 9 (Mandhana 62, Dottin 2-14, Fletcher 2-28) by nine wickets

West Indies levelled the T20I series in style, with captain Hayley Matthews at the forefront of a robust batting performance in a nine-wicket thrashing. Matthews hit an unbeaten 85, courtesy 17 fours, just four less than India's 21, to help West Indies break a sequence of nine straight T20I losses to India.


Matthews' brilliance helped cover for a shoddy fielding display in which Qiana Joseph, who also fuelled the chase with 38, put down India's stand-in captain Smriti Mandhanaonce, one of three lives she got on the night. However, India's 159 for 9, in the face of dew and some serious batting muscle in the opposition, was never going to be enough.

Chetry, debutant Bist fall cheaply

India's inexperienced top order left them wobbling. Deandra Dottin castled Uma Chetry with an in-ducker for 4. Afy Fletcher, who went for 39 in her four overs two nights ago, had debutant Raghvi Bist lbw for 5. In between these two strikes, Jemimah Rodrigues fell attempting to get inside the line and paddle. At 48 for 3 in the ninth over, West Indies had India on the ropes.
Dropped catches let Mandhana off the hook

India received a massive fillip thanks to some West Indian generosity; they dropped Mandhana three times - twice by Chinelle Henry - between overs 11 to 14. Mandhana would soon run out of luck, though, in the 14th over, but not before raising a second straight half-century, off 37 balls. Between those dropped catches, India hit six fours and a six in a two-over period that fetched 36, going from 72 for 3 in 12 overs to 108 for 4 in 14.

Dottin brilliance helps West Indies pull things back

If overs 12 to 14 produced boundaries, the next two applied the skids as West Indies removed Deepti and S Sajana. But Richa Ghosh cut, pulled and flat-batted the spinners to race to 32 off 16. Just as she raised hopes of a sparkling half-century, she was sent back by a flying Shemaine Campbelle behind the stumps, caught as she attempted to scythe Dottin's yorker.

Then, in the final over, Dottin showed off her athleticism in running at least 20 yards around the long-on fence to pull off a stunning catch on the move to dismiss Radha Yadav.
Joseph sets it up

Joseph made up for her fielding lapses by laying into rookie Titas Sadhu to kickstart the chase. Her fast hands and clean slogging brought her three fours and a six in an 18-run second over. Renuka Singh then came in for punishment as Joseph muscled a monstrous six in a 14-run over. The openers brought up a half-century opening stand inside five overs. Saima Thakor picked up her first T20I wicket when she deceived Joseph with a back-of-the-hand slower ball in the seventh over, but by then the base had been laid with a 66-run stand.

Matthews finishes it in style

That was to be India's only moment of comfort on the field as Matthews quickly took charge to raise a 31-ball half-century in an over when she despatched left-armer Radha Yadav for four back-to-back fours. India managed 21 fours and a six in their entire innings. West Indies had matched that boundary count by the 13th over itself to make it one-way traffic. The series couldn't have been levelled with a more emphatic chase.show more...

admin Dec 16 2024 Cricket

IND Women won by 49 runs.

Rodrigues, Sadhu hand India big win on belter.
Dottin led the fight for West Indies with a rapid fifty, but her team still fell 49 runs short.

India 195 for 4 (Rodrigues 73, Mandhana 54) beat West Indies 146 for 7 (Dottin 52, Sadhu 3-37) by 49 runs

An aggressive 81-run stand between Jemimah Rodrigues and Smriti Mandhana combined with some excellent catching gave India a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series against West Indies.


Deandra Dottin led the fight in the 196 chase with a 28-ball 52 along with Qiana Joseph, but in the end West Indies fell 49 short with young medium-pacer Titas Sadhu taking three crucial wickets for India.

Mandhana's new opening partner

With Shafali Verma dropped, Mandhana had a new opening partner in Uma Chetry, who was playing her fifth T20I. West Indies introduced spin as early as the second over after opting to bowl first, bringing in left-arm spinner Zaida James to bowl to Mandhana. Thirteen runs came off it, with Mandhana pulling her for a four first ball and Chetry punishing her with back-to-back boundaries through the covers. Hayley Matthews brought herself on in the fourth over to bowl against the left-handed Mandhana but she was instead taken for two consecutive fours off the first two balls. Mandhana found her flow, making more than half of the runs in the openers' 50-run stand at the end of the powerplay.

Despite getting a life on 14, having been dropped in the slips, Chetry couldn't capitalise on it, struggling to score in the legside and slowing down against offspinner Karishma Ramharack. She was eventually bowled trying to flick Ramharack for a 26-ball 24.

Rodrigues on fire

The wicket, however, ended up being a positive for India, with Rodrigues joining Mandhana in the middle. Rodrigues stuck to her strengths, sweeping and reverse-sweeping the ball well from the get-go for her boundaries. Mandhana, meanwhile, went on the back foot to put the spinners away and was scoring boundaries at regular intervals as well, as the duo went hard at the balls that were pitched up. Together they took on Matthews for 19 runs in the 13th over. Their partnership just crossed 80 when Ramharack came back to dismiss Mandhana for 54.

Richa Ghosh, coming in at No. 4, made sure India did not slow down, hitting two fours and six off the first seven balls she faced. But she did not last long, with Dottin having her caught at deep midwicket. Rodrigues, however, continued to pile on the runs, bringing her fifty off just 28 balls. She hit boundaries all around the ground and also ran quickly between the wickets without tiring. She was run out in the last over for 73 off 35 balls but not before giving India a massive total.

Minnu Mani, super sub

With Harmanpreet Kaur not taking the field for the chase, Mandhana took over captaincy duties and Minnu Mani filled in as a sub. Mani made sure to make the most of her chance by taking excellent catches both in the infield and outfield on a foggy evening in Navi Mumbai. In the second over, when Sadhu had Matthews top edge a pull, Mani ran back diagonally from mid-on, dived and caught the ball that came down from a height with stretched hands. She took another one near long-on when Chinelle Henry miscued Radha Yadav straight up in the air.

The dangerous Dottin was dropped first by Rodrigues and then by Mandhana, she eventually ended up smashing it into the hands of Radha, who moved left from long-on to take the catch. While India's catching under the lights has previously been a subject of scrutiny, they did the job quite neatly on the day.

Dangerous Dottin, cool Sadhu

Sadhu made her comeback after an injury layoff in the Australia ODIs earlier this month but that did not go well. But on Sunday, with plenty of dew around, she kept mixing up her lines and lengths, managing to get three crucial wickets. While an excellent catch by Mani accounted for Matthews, she caught Qiana Joseph by surprise by shortening her length right after being smacked for a six. Joseph ended up hitting the ball towards mid-off for a simple catch and departed for a 33-ball 49.

But with Dottin going strong, West Indies still had a chance to turn the game around. Dottin was at her usual best - she got off the mark with an 80m hit over deep midwicket and single-handedly kept the scoring rate up despite little help from the other end. After being dropped the first time on 40, she went on to smash a six and a four to get to her half-century off just 26 balls. But she could not capitalise on her second life after being dropped on 52, getting out the next ball to Sadhu. That was pretty much the game for West Indies, who at that point needed 70 off 31 balls.show more...

admin Sep 30 2024 Cricket

IND Women won by 20 runs.

10:59pm Right then, that is it from this warm-up game but the build-up to the mega event
continues as there are still more warm-up games to come. Both India Women and West
Indies Women will look to put their best foot forward from here on and be prepared for the big
stage. Until next time then, take care and goodbye!

10:58 pm Earlier in the game, West Indies Women won the toss and opted to field and the
decision of Hayley Matthews was well backed by her bowlers. The lethal trio of Smriti
Mandhana, Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur was shut down early by the likes of
Chinelle Henry and Hayley Matthews herself. However, Jemimah Rodrigues led a valiant
fightback and put on vital stands with the middle order to take India to a score of beyond 140.
In reply, West Indies Women huffed and puffed and ended up 20 runs shy of what India had
put on the board.

10:56 pm Similar to the Indian innings, West Indies Women too lost their top order cheaply
before the likes of Chinelle Henry and Shemaine Alteia Campbelle led the fight back. Henry
was brilliant throughout and stayed on till the end, building another crucial stand with Afy
Fletcher and brought up a fifty but it just wasn't enough.

10:55 pm A solid showing in the end from India Women but they will feel that there's still
work to be done if they are to yet again keep themselves in the mix for the coveted
trophy. Defending 141 runs, India Women were on the money with the ball as the likes of
Renuka Singh Thakur and Pooja Vastrakar dismantled the Windies' top order which set the
tone and then a couple of more wickets from Deepti Sharma in the middle overs stamped the
seal on victory and the Indians were able to just control things till the end.show more...