Headingley :India’s power-packed batting line-up came to fore on Wednesday, as they set up a 95-run win over the Netherlands at Headingley.
With Smriti Mandhana leading the charge, India posted 209/5, their highest score in Women’s T20 World Cups. They followed it up with a clinical bowling performance to dismiss the European side for 114 in 17.3 overs.
As the tournament debutants took on the ODI world champions, the gulf in class was obvious.
Netherlands captain Babette de Leede won the toss and elected to field. During the coin flip, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur had said that India were looking to be more positive in powerplay.
Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma were quick to find their range and helped India amass 59 runs in the first six overs.
While Verma powered her way through her first T20 World Cup fifty, Mandhana dismantled Netherlands with trademark elegance. They put on an opening partnership of 115, giving the team the perfect launchpad for a big total.
Heather Siegers provided the breakthrough as she had Verma loft the ball to Iris Zwilling at long on.
Though Verma departed for 55 (38b, 10×4), Mandhana continued to trouble the Dutch and stitched a 47-run stand with Jemimah Rodrigues. Picking runs all around the field, the stylish southpaw scored 74 off 47 balls, with the help of 11 fours and a six. It was her second straight half-century, following a 68 against Pakistan on Sunday, and sixth T20I fifty.
Her dismissal triggered a mid-innings wobble as India slipped from 162/2 to 168/4. They lost Mandhana and Rodrigues off successive balls and Yastika Bhatia soon followed them back to the pavilion.
Wayward at the start, the Dutch eventually found their mojo against India to push them back. Leg-spinner Caroline De Lange was at the heart of a spirited comeback, as she kept the batters guessing with flight and turn and finished with 2/32 in four overs.
Richa Ghosh, Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma put the finishing touches on a dominant batting display, as India plundered 32 runs in the last two overs. Sharma helped India sign off on a high as she struck a six and four to end the innings.
In response, the Dutch top order chipped at the Indian total with some decent contributions — while captain Babette De Leede top scored with 28, opener Heather Siegers posted 21.
Not only did India put the choke on with some disciplined bowling, they also took wickets at regular intervals. Once De Leede departed, the Netherlands crumbled from 96/4 to 114 all out.
Left-arm spinner Sree Charani was the pick of the bowlers for India as she claimed 4/19, including the wickets of Frederique Overdijk, Iris Zwilling and Myrthe van den Raad in one over. Verma proved her all-round prowess, following up her half-century with a three-wicket haul, while Nandni Sharma chipped in with two wickets.
