Courtesy: BCCI
The Indian women’s cricket team registered their third highest total in T20I history, scoring 195/4 in their allotted 20 overs at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, December 15. The star performers with the bat for India were Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues as both got past their respective fifties, to help the team put an above par total on the board in the first T20I of the three-match series against West Indies.
After winning the toss, Hayley Matthews, the captain of West Indies women’s cricket team, decided to field first, but her decision backfired as the Indian openers Uma Chetry and Smriti Mandhana put together an opening stand of 50 runs in just 6.3 overs. Jemimah Rodrigues joined Smriti Mandhana in the middle, and they matched each other stroke for stroke during their second wicket stand of 81 runs, to put India in a commanding position.
Following Smriti Mandhana’s dismissal on 54 off 33 with seven fours and three sixes, Jemimah Rodrigues batted till the end of the Indian innings, top scoring with 73 runs off just 35 balls, which included nine fours and two maximums. The splendid batting performance from these two star players, coupled with quick-fire cameos from Richa Ghosh and Harmanpreet Kaur, helped India to get to their third highest T20I total in women’s cricket just below their 201/5 effort versus the UAE and 198/4 essay against England.
Below are the playing XIs of India and West Indies for the first T20I of three-match series:
India: Smriti Mandhana, Uma Chetry, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Richa Ghosh (wk), Sajeevan Sajana, Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Saima Thakor, Titas Sadhu, Renuka Thakur
West Indies: Hayley Matthews (c), Qiana Joseph, Shemaine Campbelle (wk), Deandra Dottin, Chinelle Henry, Shabika Gajnabi, Afy Fletcher, Zaida James, Mandy Mangru, Shamilia Connell, Karishma Ramharack
