CHENNAI: Hosts New Zealand pulled off a clinical 62-run victory over India in their World Cup match at Hamilton on Thursday. Chasing 261, it did not take long for India to go into a shell. They began quietly as Smriti Mandhana and Yastika Bhatia, who replaced Shafali Verma in the playing eleven, kept finding the fielders. Soon after Mandhana hit one straight to cover, Bhatia and Deepti Sharma struggled to keep the scoreboard ticking.
And the same continued even after Sharma fell to Lea Tahuhu, who came around the wicket and beat the southpaw for pace. Mithali Raj and Yastika took their time as they added 25 runs from 55 balls. Once the left-hander, who struggled to rotate strike against spinners, got out, Harmanpreet Kaur joined hands with Mithali.
The veteran duo built a partnership, but again, wasn’t able to up the run rate as required. Amelia Kerr and Frances Mackay tightened screws from either end. Amelia removed Mithali and Richa Ghosh off consecutive deliveries, and Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar, who came after, too, did not last long.
Meanwhile, the only positive for India was the way Harmanpreet batted. The Indian vice-captain maintained a strike rate over 90 for a better part of her innings and teed off after crossing her fifty. She smashed 20 runs in a Jess Kerr over, two fours and two sixes, but it was an onslaught that came a bit too late.
When she fell for 71 runs from 63 balls trying to hit Amelia over long-off, India’s chances were all but over. They eventually fell short by 62 runs after being dismissed for 198 in 46.4 overs.
Earlier, after opting to bowl first, Vastrakar provided India with the early breakthrough with a sharp fielding effort catching Suzie Bates short of the crease. Sophie Devine (35), however, showed her prowess as she smashed Meghna Singh through the off-side on the raise with ease. So much so that Richa Ghosh had to come up to the stumps. However, she fell shortly after as Vastrakar’s extra bounce made her edge one behind the stumps.
Amelia (50) and Amy Satterthwaite (75) kept the innings going with the former milking the spinners across the park. The duo built a solid partnership and it took Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s persistent effort to trap her on the pads.
While Satterthwaite picked up from there along with Maddy Green first and then with Katey Martin, Vastrakar (4/34) came back for her second spell, picking up back to back wickets to pull things back. At one point, it looked like 300 were on the cards, but Vastrakar, with Goswami and Sharma, kept it tight as India conceded just 49 runs in the last ten overs.
Brief scores: New Zealand 260/9 in 50 overs (Amy Satterthwaite 75; Pooja Vastrakar 4/34) bt India 198 in 46.4 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 71; Lea Tahuhu 3/17)