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.

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 October 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji

Radha Yadav was a Superwoman who flew like a bird to pluck unbelievable catches. She was a spinner who dismissed key batters and finished her spell with four wickets.

She has been playing those roles with aplomb for India for some time now. But, she isn’t used to playing her team’s longest innings.

She came in at No. 9, with India reeling at 102 of seven, chasing 260 against New Zealand in the second ODI on Sunday. She was the last woman out for 48, as India crashed to a 76-run defeat.

Cause for concern

This was not just the highest score by an Indian in the match, but in the series as well, so far. That could be a cause for concern for India as it takes on New Zealand in the third and deciding ODI in Ahmedabad on Tuesday (October 29, 2024).

It is not that the wicket at the Narendra Modi Stadium is treacherous. And it certainly isn’t average — the rating given by the ICC for the wicket used at this ground for last year’s men’s World Cup final between India and Australia.

There are runs to be made there — New Zealand skipper Sophie Devine showed how in the second ODI.

Though Devine is someone who would like to smash the bowlers out of the park from ball one — remember her astounding 36-ball 99 for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Gujarat Giants in the inaugural WPL last year? — she chose to play with determination, scoring at a strike-rate of close to 92.

Devine wasn’t the only Kiwi batter to impress. Suzie Bates, Georgia Plimmer and Maddy Green also batted sensibly, as had Brooke Halliday in the first ODI.

In that opening game, Shafali Verma’s strokes had helped India score more than 90 in 15 overs, but it had taken a couple of fine knocks in the lower middle-order, from debutante Tejal Hasabnis and Deepti Sharma, to help the team make a respectable total. So, the likes of Smriti Mandhana, captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues have to spend more time in the middle.

The bowlers were really good in the first game, though they were less effective in the second. The spin from Deepti and Radha has worked, and the new seamer Saima Thakor has been a welcome addition.

They may not mind more runs from their batting colleagues, though.

The Teams (from):

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.

Match starts at 1:30pm IST.