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.

Richa Ghosh joined Australia’s Litchfield and Kiwi Devine in scoring the fastest fifty in women’s T20I.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Richa Ghosh loves to finish games, no matter where she bats. Challenging situations bring out the best in her.

Things were no different at the DY Patil Stadium on Thursday. Batting at No. 5, she toyed with the West Indies bowlers and went on to join Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield and New Zealand’s Sophie Devine in scoring the fastest fifty in women’s T20I — off just 18 deliveries.

With more than 47,000 spectators chanting her name, Richa (54, 21b, 3×4, 5×6) guided India to a massive 217 for four — its highest total in the format — as the Women in Blue recorded a 60-run win in the third T20I and pocketed the series 2-1.

Coming on the back of a dominating victory, West Indies’ move to field backfired as none of its bowlers could make an impact.

Despite Uma Chetry departing early, India piled on the runs as stand-in captain Smriti Mandhana (77, 47b, 13×4, 1×6) and Jemimah Rodrigues put on a 98-run partnership for the second wicket.

Smriti set the tone by scoring 13 off the third over and 20 off the fourth. As she smashed the bowlers all over the park, en route her third consecutive fifty, Smriti not only made batting look quite easy, but also set the record for most runs (193) by an Indian woman in a bilateral T20I series. Making the most of West Indies’ listless bowling and sloppy fielding, Smriti also became the batter with most runs in a calendar year in women’s T20Is with a tally of 763.

Once the Smriti-Jemimah partnership ended, Richa forged a 70-run stand with Raghvi Bist and carried on the carnage.

Richa found the fence with ease as India scored at nearly 10 an over.

However, with heavy dew settling in, the Indian bowlers had a tough job on hand.

But left-arm spinner Radha Yadav dashed Windies’ hopes with figures of four for 29. 

While Qiana Joseph fell early, Radha broke the 37-run stand between Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews, by removing the latter. As she tightened the noose, West Indies slipped further and was eventually out of the game, despite Chinelle Henry’s quick-fire 43 off 16.

The scores: India 217/4 in 20 overs (Smriti 77, Richa 54, Jemimah 39) bt West Indies 157/9 in 20 overs (Henry 43; Radha 4/29); Toss: West Indies.

PoM: Richa; PoS: Smriti.

India women’s cricket team celebrates with the trophy after beating New Zealand in the 3rd and final ODI at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat on October 29, 2024
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji

When Smriti Mandhana finds her silken touch, she puts a smile on the cricket fan’s face. On Tuesday (October 29, 2024) night, she brought the smiles back to the Indian team, too.

The stylish left-hander, who gives much joy to connoisseurs of the art in cricket, hit a sparkling 100 (122b, 10×4) to help India to coast to a six-wicket win against New Zealand in the third ODI. Chasing 232, the Women in Blue got home with 5.4 overs to spare.

They thus won the series 2-1, some consolation after the disappointment in the recent T20 World Cup in the UAE. Beating the champion may have made it a bit sweeter.

It was two partnerships featuring Smriti that made the chase a stroll in the park for India. After the early dismissal of Shafali Verma, she put on 76 for the second wicket with wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia (35, 49b, 4×4) and 117 for the third with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (59 not out, 63b, 6×4).

This was Smriti’s eighth century in ODIs and now has overtaken Mithali Raj as the leading scorer of hundreds for India. She may have taken some time to find her rhythm, but once she did, those lofts, pulls and drives flew off her blade.

Earlier, Brooke Halliday’s career-best 86 (96b, 9×4, 3×6) helped the White Ferns recover from a batting collapse. Half the side was back in the pavilion before the half-way mark of the innings.

At 88 for five, the Indians may have hoped for a shorter target to chase, but Halliday stood firm. She battled hard against the spirited Indian attack and the oppressive heat, choosing only the right balls to go hard at.

The visitors had begun disastrously with Suzies Bates getting run out in the seventh over. In the next over, Saima Thakor got the ball to shape away a little to produce a thick outside edge off Lauren Down, and when the new spinning kid on the block, Priya Mishra’s googly cleaned up Sophie Devine, fresh from her match-winning knock, New Zealand was in trouble.

Priya and Saima would strike again before long, but Halliday found support from wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze (25, 49b), and they added 64 for the sixth wicket. Then Lea Tahuhu’s quickfire 24 not out (14b, 2×4, 1×6) gave the total the finishing touch.

That total, though, was destined to be eclipsed by the Smriti touch.

New Zealand players celebrate winning the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 match against Pakistan at Dubai International Stadium on October 14, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images

India were eliminated from the Women’s T20 World Cup after New Zealand scripted a commanding 54-run victory over Pakistan in Dubai on Monday (October 14, 2024) to reach the semifinals for the first time since the 2016 edition.

India’s only chance to make the semifinals was depended on a Pakistan win with an inferior Net Run-rate compared to theirs.

Pakistan were very much in the game after restricting New Zealand to a meagre 110 for six in 20 overs.

However, Pakistan’s batting crumbled badly as they were shot out for 56 in just 11.4 overs as White Ferns entered the semifinals with three wins from four games in Group A.

Australia tops group

Australia topped the group with eight points while New Zealand came second with six points. The loss to New Zealand in their tournament opener effectively cost India a place in the last four.

Spinner Amelia Kerr took three wickets but it was seamers Lea Tahuhu (1/8) and Eden Carson (2/7) who opened the floodgates.

Pakistan were supposed to reach the target in less than 12 overs to qualify but they ended up being all out before that.

Earlier, Pakistan bowlers gave a good account of themselves restricting New Zealand to a modest total.

While openers Suzie Bates (28) and Georgia Plimmer (17) added 41 runs for the opening stand and just when it seemed that the duo has created a solid foundation, the Pakistani spinners suddenly applied the choke on the opposition.

The two spinners — off-break bowler Omaima Sohail (1/14 in 4 overs) and left-arm orthodox Nashra Sandhu (3/18 in 4 overs) — were brilliant through the middle overs with 21 dot balls and four wickets between them for only 29 runs.