VADODARA: Smriti Mandhana and Renuka Singh produced impressive performances as India women steamrolled West Indies women by a record 211 runs in the opening One-Day International (ODI) at the Kotambi International Cricket Stadium on December 22.
Opener Mandhana just missed out on a century, scoring 91 from 102 balls, and ably supported by a top order that all made useful contributions, India amassed 314 for nine from their 50 overs, their second highest ODI total at home, after being sent in to bat by the visitors.
The home side’s batting outshined a stellar spell by West Indies left-arm spinner Zaida James, who grabbed 5/45, her first five-wicket haul.
Player-of-the-Match Singh then mowed down her opponents with her fast bowling, on her way to grabbing a maiden ODI five-wicket haul as India routed the West Indies for 103 in 26.2 overs, to give the home side victory in the first international match played at the venue.
The margin of victory was India’s second largest in terms of runs, bettered only by the 249 runs they defeated New Zealand by in 2017, and gave them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Mandhana and new opening partner Pratika Rawal, who was making her debut, put on 110 runs for the first wicket, with the West Indies missing several opportunities to break the partnership.
Rawal had scored just one run when she gloved a catch behind to wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle, but the visitors failed to review and when she was on three, Afy Fletcher, who was stationed at mid-off, dropped a sitter off the bowling of Hayley Matthews.
Those misses proved costly as Rawal eventually settled and together with the in-form Mandhana, frustrated the West Indies for the first 24 overs.
Mandhana started slowly, but once settled she mixed aggression with caution, eventually bringing up her 28th ODI half century with a boundary through mid-wicket off Fletcher.
Shortly after getting India past the 100 mark, Rawal was unlucky to be dismissed when Matthews took a spectacular, one-handed diving catch off her own bowling, after she had scored 40.
And just nine runs short of a well-deserved century, Mandhana was trapped plumb in front by James after facing 102 balls and striking 13 fours.
Following her dismissal, Harleen Deol scored 44, captain Harmanpreet Kaur made 34, Richa Ghosh added 26 and Jemimah Rodrigues blasted 31 from 19 deliveries to help bolster India’s innings.
James helped to restrict India in the death, though, accounting for the wickets of Rodrigues, Saima Thakor and Titas Sadhu who both scored four, and Singh for a duck.
She ended with 5/45, while Matthews took 2/62.
The regional team's run chase was over almost as soon as it started.
Qiana Joseph was run out off the first ball of the innings after reacting late to a quick single by Matthews, and with just three runs on the board, Matthews found a thin edge after chasing a wide delivery from Singh to be caught behind for a duck following an India review.
Deandra Dottin hit Singh for two boundaries, but the pacer got her revenge
