New Delhi: The India Women’s cricket team registered an easy 20-run win against West Indies Women in the first warm-up fixture to take their campaign off on a bright note at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. The match was held at the ICC Academy Ground No. 2 in Dubai where Jemimah Rodrigues and Pooja Vastrakar starred to deliver India Eves a flying start at the marquee event.
West Indies Women had won the toss and opted to field first as India openers Shafali Verma (7) and Smriti Mandhana (14) walked out to bat. Both couldn’t go big as they departed after adding 18 runs for the first wicket. Even skipper Harmanpreet Kaur had a dismal outing as she could add just one run, building a bit of pressure on the middle order.
The Indian innings were then handled by Jemimah who went on to smash a half-century, scoring 52 runs off 40 balls laced with five fours. Yastika Bhatia added a valuable 24 to the Indian scoreboard as she stitched a 50-run stand with Jemimah for the fourth wicket. Deepti Sharma from the lower middle top-scored with 13* with Shreyanka Patil (4*) hitting a four off the final delivery of their innings which concluded at 141/8 after 20 overs.
Victory by 20 runs in our first warm-up match 🙌
A fine bowling performance from #TeamIndia restricts West Indies to 121/8 in the 2nd innings 👏👏
Scorecard –
📸: ICC#T20WorldCup | #WomenInBlue pic.twitter.com/pxFJ1lN9it
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) September 29, 2024
Hayley Matthews yet again starred for West Indies as she picked up a four-fer while Chinelle Henry and Ashmini Munisar picked a wicket each. Two batters – Richa Ghosh and Jemimah were run out.
West Indies’ chase
Matthews strode out with Qiana Joseph, hoping to get the target underneath but departed on a duck after facing five balls. Even Qiana had to walk back on a score of 1 as Renuka Thakur and Pooja Vastrakar struck early into the chase. It was Shemaine Campbell who steadied West Indies’ innings as she scored 20 runs while Henry struck an unbeaten 59 after facing 48 balls and hitting six fours and two sixes.
Afy Fletcher from the tail could add 21 off 14, smashing a six and a four but that wasn’t enough for the Caribbean women as their scoreboard was halted at 121/8 after complete 20 overs. For India, Vastrakar was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets followed by Deepti Sharma’s double strike. Renuka, Asha Sobhana, and Radha Yadav took a wicket each.
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