India Women notched a resounding 59-run victory over T20 World Cup 2024 champions New Zealand in their first ODI of the three-match series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Debutants day out in India's convincing win against New Zealand
Despite a low-scoring total of 227 runs, India's bowlers, led by the spin duo of Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav and debutant Saima Thakor (2/26), successfully defended the target. Tajal Hasabnis, making her ODI debut, top-scored for India with a knock of 42 runs. Deepti Sharma also made a valuable contribution with 41 runs. The absence of captain Harmanpreet Kaur due to a niggle did not hinder India's performance.
New Zealand struggled to chase down the target of 227 runs on a slow Ahmedabad pitch. The visitors failed to build any significant partnerships, with Amelia Kerr's unbeaten 25-run knock being the only notable contribution.
India's bowling attack, led by Radha Yadav's three-wicket haul and a strong performance from debutant Saima Thakor, restricted New Zealand to 168 runs in 40.4 overs. This victory allowed India to avenge their recent T20 World Cup loss to New Zealand.
Saima Thakor sets to tone for India
Debutant Saima Thakor, made her presence felt in just the second ball of her international career. Thakor dismissed Suzie Bates, setting the tone for the match. New Zealand continued to struggle, losing three more wickets while reaching 79 runs. The most bizarre dismissal came when captain Sophie Devine was stumped by Yastika Bhatia. Devine's failure to ground her bat led to her downfall, adding to New Zealand's woes.
New Zealand briefly threatened a comeback through a 49-run partnership between Brook Halliday and Maddy Green. This was the highest partnership of their innings and offered hope for a revival.
However, Saima Thakor returned to dismiss Halliday, breaking the partnership and halting New Zealand's momentum. The loss of Halliday proved to be a decisive moment, as New Zealand's innings failed to recover thereafter.
Tejal Hasabnis stands out in India's dismal batting show
India's batting woes continued as they struggled against New Zealand's spin duo of Amelia Kerr and Jess Kerr. Despite promising starts from several batters, including Deepti Sharma, Tejal Hasabnis (42 off 64), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia (37 off 43), and Jemimah Rodrigues, India failed to capitalise on the opportunities.
Hasabnis, in particular, was unfortunate to miss out on a bigger score after a promising start. The Kerr sisters were instrumental in restricting India to a below-par total of 227 runs.
India's batting faltered as they aimed for a competitive total. The team's hopes of a strong start were dashed when captain Smriti Mandhana was dismissed early by Jess Kerr. India struggled to build momentum throughout the innings, with several promising starts being cut short. The partnership between Jemimah Rodrigues (35 off 36) and Tejal Hasabnis offered some respite, but it was not enough to propel India to a significant total. The turning point came when Yastika Bhatia was stumped by Isabella Gaze off Amelia Kerr. This dismissal halted India's momentum, and the team eventually folded for 227 runs.India's batting faltered as they aimed for a competitive total. The team's hopes of a strong start were dashed when captain Smriti Mandhana was dismissed early by Jess Kerr. India struggled to build momentum throughout the innings, with several promising starts being cut short.
The partnership between Jemimah Rodrigues and Tejal Hasabnis offered some respite, but it was not enough to propel India to a significant total. The turning point came when Yastika Bhatia was stumped by Isabella Gaze off Amelia Kerr. This dismissal halted India's momentum, and the team eventually folded for 227 runs.
