Rangiora: India will go into the ICC Women’s World Cup with their tails up after opener Smriti Mandhana’s 67-ball 66 and the bowlers’ disciplined performance propelled them to an 81-run victory against West Indies in their last warm-up game on Tuesday.
The match’s notable performers were Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, and Pooja Vastrakar. After deciding to bat first, India produced 258 runs, with both Smriti and Deepti completing their half-centuries.
Smriti had 66 points, while Deepti had 51. Mithali Raj, the team captain, and Yastika Bhatia, who scored 30 and 42 points respectively, also made significant contributions.
In response, West Indies’ innings got off to a disastrous start as they lost four wickets with only 53 runs on the board, including captain Stefanie Taylor for just 8 runs.
Wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle top-scored for the Windies with a 63 off 81 balls, while Hayley Matthews made 44 in 61 deliveries.
However, the others failed to make substantial contributions as the West Indies fell short by a big margin.
Brief scores:
India: 258 in 50 overs (Smriti Mandhana 66, Deepti Sharma 51)
West Indies: 177/9 in 50 overs (Shemaine Campbelle 63, Hayley Matthews 44; Pooja Vastrakar 3/21)
The Women in Blue had earlier defeated South Africa by 2 runs in their first warm-up fixture. They will now take on Pakistan in their first match at the World Cup, which will be played on March 6.
