New Zealand’s cricketers must be enjoying the Indian hospitality.
The men on Saturday (October 26, 2024) ended India’s 12-year unbeaten run in home Test series. The women on Sunday (October 27, 2024) won the second ODI to keep the three-match series alive. After making 259 for nine, they romped home by 76 runs.
It was a win the White Ferns badly needed after the comprehensive defeat in the opening game. They had started this match without one of their most impactful players, Amelia Kerr, the star all-rounder who is injured and out of the series. This New Zealand side is not short of quality all-rounders, though.
The victory, in fact, was fashioned by the all-round show by skipper Sophie Devine. Her bizarre run-out in the first game had cost her team dearly, but this was another day.
She won the toss, played a splendid innings to give New Zealand a total that was going to challenge the host under lights, and then claimed three wickets.
Devine can hit the ball with enormous power and is a terror particularly in Twenty 20 cricket, but on this occasion, she was required to build an innings. She did that in admirable fashion, making 79 (86b, 7×4, 1×6).
Radha Yadav celebrates with her teammates after taking a wicket during the second ODI against New Zealand women in Ahmedabad on October 27, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Vijay Soneji
Her knock ensured that the excellent foundation laid by openers Suzie Bates (58, 70b, 8×4) and Georgia Plimmer (41, 50b, 6×4, 1×6) was not wasted. Until Plimmer became the first victim of two spectacular catches by Radha ‘Diving’ Yadav, the first-wicket stand was worth 87 in 15.3 overs.
The second catch, off Brooke Halliday, gave debutante leg-spinner Priya Mishra her first international wicket. The 20-year-old looks promising – the third Indian debutante in the series about whom you can say that.
It was a blinder from Radha, who ran backwards in the covers and timed her dive to perfection. She also would prove to be India’s most successful bowler, finishing with figures of four for 69.
Radha, coming in at No. 9, also turned out to be India’s top-scorer (48, 64b, 5×4) and put on 70 for the ninth wicket with Saima Thakor. It was a forgettable display by the Indian batters. The chase was never on.
The pacy Lea Tahuhu removed Smriti Mandhana with the fourth ball of the innings. Half the side was back in the dressing room by the 18th over.
Radha and Saima delayed the inevitable in front of a good holiday crowd.
Scoreboard
NEW ZEALAND: Suzie Bates c & b Radha 58 (70b, 8×4), Georgia Plimmer c Radha b Deepti 41 (50b, 6×4, 1×6), Lauren Down run out 3 (19b), Sophie Devine c Jemimah b Radha 79 (86b, 7×4, 1×6), Brooke Halliday c Radha b Priya 8 (15b, 1×4), Maddy Green c Arundhati b Radha 42 (41b, 5×4), Isabella Gaze st. Yastika b Deepti 11 (9b, 2×4), Jess Kerr (not out) 12 (6b, 2×4), Lea Tahuhu c Deepti b Radha 0 (1b), Eden Carson b Saima 1 (3b), Fran Jonas (not out) 1 (1b); Extras (lb-1, w-1, nb-1): 3; Total (for nine wkts. in 50 overs): 259.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-87 (Plimmer, 15.3 overs), 2-98 (Down, 20.5), 3-114 (Bates, 26.2), 4-139 (Halliday, 31.3), 5-221 (Green, 45.2), 6-239 (Gaze, 47.5), 7-245 (Devine, 48.2), 8-245 (Tahuhu, 48.3), 9-252 (Carson, 49.3).
INDIA BOWLING: Saima 10-0-58-1, Arundhati 10-0-52-0, Deepti 10-3-30-2, Priya 10-1-49-1, Radha 10-0-69-4.
INDIA: Shafali Verma lbw b Jess 11 (9b, 2×4), Smriti Mandhana c Plimmer b Tahuhu 0 (2b), Yastika Bhatia c Gaze b Tahuhu 12 (15b, 1×6), Harmanpreet Kaur c Carson b Devine 24 (35b, 1×4, 1×6), Jemimah Rodrigues c Gaze b Devine 17 (28b, 2×4), Tejal Hasabnis b Carson 15 (38b, 2×4), Deepti Sharma c Gaze b Tahuhu 15 (23b, 1×4), Arundhati Reddy c Gaze b Carson 2 (9b), Radha Yadav c Down b Devine 48 (64b, 5×4), Saima Thakor c Bates b Jess 29 (54b, 3×4), Priya Mishra (not out) 0 (7b); Extras (w-9, nb-1): 10; Total (in 47.1 overs): 183.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-5 (Smriti, 0.4), 2-19 (Shafali, 3.3), 3-26 (Yastika, 4.6), 4-64 (Jemimah, 13.3), 5-77 (Harmanpreet, 17.1), 6-100 (Tejal, 24.3), 7-102 (Deepti, 25.6), 8-108 (Arundhati, 26.6), 9-178 (Saima).
NEW ZEALAND BOWLING: Tahuhu 10-1-42-3, Jess 10-49-2, Jonas 10-2-33-0, Devine 7.1-0-27-3, Carson 10-2-32-2.
Toss: NZ; PoM: Devine.
New Zealand won by 76 runs to level the three-match series 1-1.
Third ODI: Oct. 29, Ahmedabad, 1.30 p.m.
Published – October 27, 2024 05:42 pm IST
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