“Hamari chhoriya bhi chhoro se peeche nahi hai”: Indian Women beat New Zealand by 9 wickets in first ODI

Napier, January 24: With the men leading ODI series in New Zealand 1-0, the women have also proven that they are no less than the men. The Indian women’s cricket team put quite a show today at Napier when they smashingly won the first ODI by 9 wickets.

 

India, after opting to bowl, had New Zealand bowled out for 192 in 48.5 overs, despite Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine putting on 61 for the opening wicket. The Indian spinners took eight wickets between them, with Ekta Bisht (3/32) and Poonam Yadav (3/42) taking three wickets each, and Deepti Sharma ending with an extremely economical 2/27.

 

Fresh from winning the ICC women’s cricketer of the year award, Smriti Mandhana (105) scoring her fourth ODI century in a 190-run partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues hammered New Zealand’s clueless bowling attack to steer India to an emphatic nine-wicket triumph in the opening ODI of a three-match series. Teen sensation Rodrigues (81 not out) notched up her maiden international half century.

 

Competing in their first series after the furore that followed the team's T20 World Cup exit, India produced a thoroughly clinical performance to eke out the comfortable victory in 33 overs.

 

With India celebrating National Girl Child Day today, the stellar performance by these women will surely compliment the theme “Empowering Girls for a Brighter Tomorrow”.