Indian team under the leadership of Mithali Raj failed to keep the winning momentum alive as they conceded a 62-run defeat on March 10 (Thursday) against New Zealand in the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup.
Kaur's superb batting
While chasing a solid target of 261 runs, Harmanpreet Kaur played a terrific knock of 71 runs of 61 balls but eventually her innings turned out to be futile as Indian team could only reach a total of just 198 runs losing all their 10 wickets in 46.1 overs.
For New Zealand, their bowlers Lea Tahuhu and Amelia Kerr picked up three wickets each as Jess Kerr and Hannah Rowe scalped one wicket each.
Earlier, batting first, the hosts showed a solid batting show and scripted a total of 260 runs in 50 overs, losing 9 wickets. Amelia (50 runs off 64 balls) and Amy Satterthwaite (75 runs off 84 deliveries) displayed stunning batting skills to reach a good total.
India’s Pooja Vastrakar exhibited stunning bowling display to pick up four wickets as Rajeshwari Gayakwad scalped two wickets. Jhulan Goswami and Deepti Sharma claimed one wicket each as eventually the hosts New Zealand reached a solid target of 260 runs losing 9 wickets in 50 overs.
Jhulan's record
On the other hand, veteran Indian pacer Jhulan became joint-highest wicket-taker in Women’s World Cup history as she picked up the wicket of New Zealand wicketkeeper Katey Martin in the 50th over of the match. Jhulan’s terrific yorker did the trick as Martin failed to read the delivery successfully and as a result she was bowled out.
Jhulan bowled 9 overs in the match and conceded 41 runs and picked up the vital wicket of New Zealand wicketkeeper Katey Martin (41 runs off 51 balls).
Martin’s innings was comprised of 3 boundaries. The Bengal-born pacer equaled the tally of 39 wickets taken by Lyn Fullston of Australia. It is important to mention that Fullston had achieved this record during the period of 1982 to 1988.
In the first match, Indian team had defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by 107 runs. Batting first, the Mithali Raj-led side had registered a solid total of 244 runs losing 7 wickets in 50 overs. In reply, Pakistan were bundled out within a paltry total of 137 runs. Jhulan had bagged two crucial wickets in that game.
