India Women kick-started their ICC Cricket World Cup 2017 campaign with a stunning 35-run win against England Women. While Smriti Mandhana (90 off 72) clobbered the English attack, Punam Raut (86) held up one end to get India off to a flying start after being asked to bat. Building on the 144-run opening stand, Mithali Raj (71) played a vintage knock and a cameo by Harmanpreet Kaur helped India set the hosts a 282-run target.
With as many as four run outs at crucial junctures in the game, India then bowled England out for 246. Coming back into the side after an injury lay-off, Mandhana played a sparkling knock to set the tone.
She slammed Katherine Brunt to the fence to open her account and didn’t look back thereafter. Dealing in boundaries she collected 16 off the bowler’s next over and continued to glean runs off England. While she played the lofted shots with confidence, Mandhana timed the ball beautifully to build the innings.
Raut, who had got off to a quieter start at the other end worked diligently to hold up one end.
After the early onslaught, the pair settled in to shape the innings. They maintained the momentum with ones and twos and kept the innings comfortably on course for a formidable total. Mandhana, who had entertained with some breathtaking shots, missed out on a well-deserved century as she departed hitting Heather Knight to mid-wicket.
Mithali then joined Raut in capitalising on the solid start. The duo added 78 runs for the second wicket until Danielle Hazell accounted for the opener. Raut, who had received couple of lives early in her innings was dropped again at mid-on while on 77 as she worked her way forward.
At the other end, Mithali, played a sublime knock to ensure India a massive total. She posted her seventh successive half-century; a record for most number of consecutive fifties in Women’s ODIs as she milked the bowlers. Harmanpreet, who joined her with just over seven overs left in the innings made 24 off 22 as they added 59 runs at a brisk pace and set the game up for India.
Ekta Bisht then opened the bowling with Goswami to defend the massive total. Tammy Beaumont and Sarah Taylor began cautiously and had taken the side to 33 until the former nicked Shikha Pandey to Mandhana in the slips. The medium-pacer accounted for Taylor in her next over to leave England on 42 for two. 25 runs later, India used the DRS successfully to send back Natalie Sciver after the batter was caught by the wicketkeeper off Deepti Sharma in the first ever use of the technology in Women’s cricket.
With the run rate climbing steadily Knight and Fran Wilson patiently built a 67-run partnership until the captain was run out by Harmanpreet Kaur.
Deepti then caught Danielle Wyatt off her own bowling to leave England on 142 for five. Katherine Brunt then forged a 62-run stand with Wilson to keep England in the chase.
The match was precariously poised when Deepti’s direct hit ran out Brunt and ended the flourishing stand. With the pressure building up, Wilson too was run out by Bisht a couple of overs later, which pushed the hosts further on the backfoot. Although the batter dived, her bat was in the air which brought her fighting knock to an end. Jenny Gunn followed her back to the pavilion; run out nine. Poonam Yadav then castled Hazell while Deepti accounted for Anya Shrubsole to wrap-up England with 15 balls to spare.
Player of the Match: Smriti Mandhana for her brisk 72-ball 90.
