With a 125-run win against Ireland Women, India Women continued their unbeaten streak in the ICC Women’s World Cup qualifiers in Sri Lanka. MD Thirushkamini (113*) and Deepti Sharma (89) helped set Ireland a 251-run target and the Indian spinners bowled the side to a comprehensive win. After pacer Shikha Pandey (2/11) gave the side early breakthroughs, Poonam Yadav (3/30), Ekta Bisht (2/15) and Devika Vaidya (2/11) bowled the opponents out for 125.
Earlier, after Mithali Raj opted to bowl, Thirushkamini and Deepti played patiently to build the Indian innings. The pair milked the opponents for singles to maintain a steady flow of runs. Timing their shots, the pair found the boundary at regular intervals to maintain a healthy run rate as they looked to set the stage for an imposing total. While the set pair stitched a solid stand both batters posted half-centuries as they carried the Indian innings forward.
Thirushkamini and Deepti had put together 174 runs for the opening stand until the latter was sent back by K Garth. Veda Krishnamurthy then helped add 38 runs at a brisk pace until she was sent back by I Joyce with the team on 212 in the 44th over. Harmanpreet Kaur then joined the opener seeing the team through the remaining overs; adding 38 run in an unbroken stand to take India to 250 for two.
Defending the mountain of runs, Pandey, trapped SM Kavanagh lbw off the first ball and a bit later yorked Garth to leave Ireland gasping on four for two. The opposition weren’t able to recover from the early blows as the Indian bowlers maintained a strangle hold on the batting lineup. L Delany joined Cecelia Joyce in an effort to hold the innings together and the duo had taken Ireland to 15 when the No 3 bat was run out.
Delany continued to bide her time at the crease in an effort to salvage the innings with I Joyce. The pair had added 20 runs in nine overs when the Ireland captain was out lbw to Ekta Bisht. A while later, with the team on 70, Yadav had I Joyce stumped for 31. And later in the over C Shillington holed out to deep midwicket and Mansi Joshi took a well judged catch near the ropes to leave Ireland on 70 for six.
India maintained their upper-hand as the Ireland batters struggled to score off the Indian attack. M Waldron was the next to return to the pavilion after taking the aerial route off Bisht. With the target an improbable task, G Lewis toiled on. A few overs later she was bowled by Yadav leaving the side on 114 for eight. Vaidya then accounted for A Kenealy and L McCarthy to wrap up the innings.
