Indian women cricket team players celebrate a wicket during the second ODI against West Indies in Vadodara on December 24, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji
Five-and-a-half years and after 31 innings, Harleen Deol scored her maiden international hundred (115, 103b, 16×4) as India went on to post a massive 358 for five — its joint-highest total in ODIs — and recorded a 115-run win against the West Indies despite Hayley Matthews’ gritty ton.
With more than 8,000 spectators chanting her name at the Kotambi Stadium on Tuesday (December 24, 2024), No. 3 batter Harleen forged two alliances — 62 for the second wicket with Pratika Rawal (76, 86b, 10×4, 1×6) and 116 for the fourth with Jemimah Rodrigues. She brought up her century smashing Shamilia Connell for a boundary and by the time Qiana Joseph ended Harleen’s innings, India was firmly in control. Jemimah’s cameo (52, 36b, 6×4, 1×6) put the contest beyond the visitors.
Openers Smriti Mandhana (53, 47b, 7×4, 2×6) and Pratika set up the platform with a 110-run stand, their second 100-plus partnership in a row. Even as the latter took time to build her innings, Smriti continued her magical form and brought up her sixth consecutive 50-plus score across formats.
Making the most of Windies’ listless bowling and sloppy fielding, Smriti and Pratika looked at ease before a mix-up resulted in the former’s run-out. However, as she walked out, Smriti patted the 24-year-old Pratika on the back. Pratika stayed focused and reached her half-century before falling to Zaida James for 76.
Jemimah came out all guns blazing as four Indian batters scored half-centuries in the same ODI for the second time in 20 years.
Pursuing a gargantuan total, West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals before captain Matthews and Shemaine Campbelle forged a 112-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Despite Deepti Sharma and Titas Sadhu delivering early blows, West Indies crawled back as the dew settled in. Matthews stamped her class en route her seventh ODI century. However, with leg-spinner Priya Mishra tightening the noose, Windies lost the plot once Matthews and Campbell departed as India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Scoreboard
India Women: Smriti Mandhana run out 53 Pratika Rawal c Qiana Joseph b Zaida James 76 Harleen Deol c Aaliyah Alleyne b Qiana Joseph 115 Harmanpreet Kaur b Afy Fletcher 22 Jemimah Rodrigues c Hayley Matthews b Deandra Dottin 52 Richa Ghosh not out 13 Deepti Sharma not out 4 Extras: (lb-2, w-20, nb-1) 23
Total: 358/5 in 50 overs
Fall of wickets: 1-110, 2-172, 3-215, 4-331, 5-341
West Indies women bowling: Deandra Dottin 7-0-53-1, Shamilia Connell 4-0-36-0, Hayley Matthews 10-0-60-0, Aaliyah Alleyne 4-0-39-0, Karishma Ramharack 10-0-46-0, Afy Fletcher 6-0-38-1, Zaida James 7-0-57-1, Qiana Joseph 2-0-27-1.
West Indies Women Innings: Hayley Matthews c Jemimah Rodrigues b Pratika Rawal 106 Qiana Joseph c Pratika Rawal b Deepti Sharma 15 Nerissa Crafton c and b Titas Sadhu 13 Rashada Williams lbw b Priya Mishra 0 Deandra Dottin b Renuka Singh 10 Shemaine Campbelle c Smriti Mandhana b Titas Sadhu 38 Aaliyah Alleynec (sub)Minnu Mani b Deepti Sharma 0 Zaida James c Pratika Rawal b Priya Mishra 25 Afy Fletcher c Smriti Mandhana b Pratika Rawal 22 Karishma Ramharack c Harleen Deol b Priya Mishra 3 Shamilia Connell not out 4 Extras: (LB-1, W-6) 7
Total: (10 wkts, 46.2 Overs) 243
Fall of Wickets: 1-20, 2-36, 3-40, 4-69, 5-181, 6-182, 7-199, 8-227, 9-237, 10-243.
Indian women bowling: Renuka Thakur Singh 9-2-41-1, Deepti Sharma 9-1-40-2, Titas Sadhu 10-0-42-2, Priya Mishra 9.2-0-49-3, Saima Thakor 4-0-33-0, Pratika Rawal 5-0-37-2.
Published – December 24, 2024 02:14 pm IST
