Skipper Mithali Raj’s well-crafted half-century went in useless as Indian batting flopped as soon as once more with the guests shedding the primary WODI towards New Zealand by 62 runs right here on Saturday. Opting to bowl, New Zealand rode on Suzie Bates century (106 off 111 balls) to attain a difficult 275 and India had been all-out within the final over for 213 in 49.4 overs and by no means for as soon as appeared like being within the chase.
The 39-year-old Mithali, taking part in her 221st ODI, continued her dream kind within the format — seven fifties within the final 11 innings in ODIs — to maintain India within the hunt with a 73-ball 59 (6×4). Indian girls’s crew of their final ODI recorded their highest ever run chase of 265 set by Australia girls in September final 12 months, a win that had ended their rivals 26-match profitable streak.
Mithali additionally joined Charlotte Edwards in making 1,000 runs towards 4 completely different groups — Australia, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand — in ODI cricket. She additionally grew to become the primary Indian to achieve 1000 girls’s ODI runs towards New Zealand.
Mithali acquired a nice help from left-hander Yastika Bhatia, who dropped right down to her regular No 3 spot, to stroke a 63-ball 41 because the duo added 88 runs of their restoration act. But she perished to a brief ball from Hayley Jensen (2/36), one thing that triggered the Indian collapse earlier than Jess Kerr sealed the problem for the hosts with a matchwinning 4/35 as India collapsed for 213 in 49.4 overs to path the five- match ODI collection 0-1.
India had earlier misplaced the one-off T20I by 18 runs of their collection opener on February 9. India additionally paid a worth for Harmanpreet Kaur’s poor kind as she coming contemporary from her exploits within the Big Bash the place she was adjudged ‘Player of the Tournament’ ‘ couldn’t make it large perishing for a 22-ball 10.
She final notched a fifty in March 2021 towards South Africa as her final 5 scores learn a poor 10, 16, 19, 1, 30 not out, portray a sorry image for India forward of the World Cup beginning right here from March 4. Absence of their star batter Smriti Mandhana, who’s serving her prolonged managed isolation and quarantine, as soon as once more damage India badly particularly of their file chase of 275.
There was no extra left-right opening mixture with southpaw Yastika Bhatia happening to her regular No 3, whereas Meghana partnered Shafali Verma up entrance. Rewarded for her spectacular T20I outing (a 30-ball 37 at No 4) the opposite day, Meghana was watchful to begin with as India’s run chase began with 12 dot balls, courtesy Tahuhu and Jess Kerr’s maiden overs.
Her wobbly innings (4 from 14 balls) lastly ended within the fifth over after she edged one to the slip as Shafali (12 from 16b) grew to become impatient to overlook full stump to be trapped lbw in a smooth method. Wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh made a cameo of 27-ball 22 however after his dismissal with a nice stumping India’s run-chase fizzled out.
Earlier, New Zealand had been eyeing a rating of 300-plus with veteran opener Suzie Bates’s glowing eleventh ODI century, however India bounced again strongly taking final 5 wickets for 25 runs to bundle them out for 275 in 48.1 overs. Suzie made stuffed with the reprieve she acquired on 14 when Rajeshwari Gayakwad dropped her at level off Pooja Vastrakar’s bowling to attain a chic 106 off 111 balls, studded with 10 boundaries.
Suzie acquired to her thirty eighth fifty in 66 balls, her first ODI half-century since January 2020 to attract stage with fellow White Ferns legend Debbie Hockley.
She later notched her triple in 107 balls, with a single off Poonam Yadav and within the subsequent over she made her intention clear with again foot pull for a boundary towards Deepti Sharma.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
