Captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s all-round performance helped India Blue triumph over India Red in the Women’s 2015 Challenger Trophy. India Blue beat India Red by 18 runs in the in the domestic one-day tournament held in Mysore this season courtesy the captain’s 47-run knock followed by a three-wicket haul. Defending 180 runs, Kaur picked three for 22 while PR Bose claimed a five-wicket haul to bowl the team to victory after India Red captain Smriti Mandhana had kept her team on course for the chase with a half-century.
Asked to bat at the SDNRW Ground in Mysore in the all-important game, Kaur's knock helped India Blue to a modest 180 despite the middle and lower-order collapse. Openers Sarika Koli and MD Thirushkamini put up a 34-run opening stand until the latter was sent back by Sneh Rana. 24 runs later she followed her opening partner back to the dressing room. Kaur then stitched a 51-run partnership with Paramita Roy before the No.3 returned to the pavilion. While the skipper went on to post the highest score for her side she missed out on a well deserved half-century as she strove to take the team to a competitive total in the title clash.
Rajeshwari, who accounted for Roy then ran out Veda Krishnamurthy and later accounted for Kaur. And while A Patil was sent back by Shikha Pandey, the rest of the line-up caved in to Snehal Pradhan and Poonam Yadav and were bowled out with a ball to spare.
India Red captain, then got her team off to a good start in a 61-run opening stand with Latika Kumari until the latter was sent back. The skipper carried on and had kept her team in the fray during her stay in the middle. India Red were comfortably poised on 130 for two in the 39th over until Bose struck. She claimed Shikha Pandey and Punam Raut in her successive overs to leave India Red on 132 for four and bring her side back in the game.
With the match hanging in balance, after Bose’s double strike, Kaur followed up with the wickets of Poonam Yadav and Madhusmita Behera. The captain and Bose ran through the rest of the line-up and bundled the opposition out for 162 to claim victory.
Brief scores: India Blue 180 all out in 49.5 overs (H Kaur 47, P Roy 31, S Pradhan 2/27, Rajeshwari 2/28) beat India Red 162 all out in 48.1 overs (S Mandhana 52, PR Bose 5/43, H Kaur 3/22) by 18 runs
