India will be hoping to resolve their batting brittleness in their quest to win the third and final women’s ODI and seal the series against New Zealand in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. It was clear from the first match, which the hosts won by 59 runs through a fine effort by the bowlers, that India’s batting is not in top shape, and the second one-dayer underscored that reality. India’s batting went a notch down on Friday as they were bundled out for 183 while chasing 260.
It was a tough target indeed, but not improbable in nature as Indian batters succumbed to spot-on White Ferns bowlers and to their own indiscretions.
It required a record ninth-wicket stand of 70 runs between Radha Yadav and Saima Thakor to add a touch of respectability to India’s run chase.
Even the overall picture is not a rosy one, as Indian batters are yet to score an individual fifty across two matches.
Radha’s 48 in the second ODI is the highest individual score from India’s side during this series, and the home team will require a drastic turnaround in the final match.
For that, India’s power troika upfront — openers Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur — will have to fire in unison.
It can have a ripple effect in a strong-on-paper middle-order consisting of Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma and Tejal Hasabnis.
Mandhana’s form continues to be a bit of concern as she hardly looked a pale shadow of her customary gracefully dominant batter.
She is yet to reach two-figure score against New Zealand, and a series decider could be a perfect occasion for her to rewrite the script.
On the other hand, Indian bowlers continued their good effort despite conceding 259 in the previous match.
At one stage, the visitors were 87 for no loss in 14 overs and 139 for 3 in 30 overs, but the Indian bowlers did well to rein them back and limit to a total less than 280-290 that at one stage looked achievable.
The left-arm spinner Radha has once again been impressive with a four-wicket haul to go with the three wickets she plucked in the first game.
She will need to be at her best once more to keep the free-flowing New Zealand batters in check.
New Zealand have also been bolstered by the presence of veteran pacer Lea Tahuhu who replaced injured Moly Penfold in the eleven and immediately impressed with a three-wicket haul.
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Pooja Vastrakar, Renuka Thakur Singh, Radha Yadav, Meghna Singh, Devika Vaidya, Amanjot Kaur, Anjali Sarvani, Taniyaa Bhatia, Yastika Bhatia.
New Zealand: Sophie Devine (C), Suzie Bates, Maddy Green, Lauren Down, Brooke Halliday, Katey Martin (WK), Hayley Jensen, Jess Kerr, Fran Jonas, Hannah Rowe, Molly Penfold, Lea Tahuhu, Izzy Gaze, Georgia Plimmer.
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